Yellow Roses
by Cassima
Summary: Ongoing. Buffy/X-Files/Sailormoon. Buffy is guided by an angel, and kills some vampires. Sailor Moon kills more vampires. Scully suffers the return of her cancer.
1. The Slayer Sleeps Tonight

Yellow Roses, part 1: The Slayer Sleeps Tonight  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. Wahh! Joss Whendon, the nice man who   
created her, does. I wish I did, but he thought her and her friends up  
first. Hence, I only own any characters that you don't recognize, like  
that girl who's Angel's friend (I don't own Angel, either). I'm not getting paid for this, so please don't sue me.   
  
Thanks: Thanks to Christine Ode for the creation of the idea. Thanks to Laur and Anya for posting it at their sites.  
  
Note: I use '*' to indicate thoughts and '_' to indicate stressed words.  
  
*****  
  
The night was old, and Buffy felt that way, too. It was around 5:30 in the   
morning, way too early to be out looking for vampires. Since it wasn't sunup  
for about 3 more hours, it was her job to get up *before* the crack of dawn,   
even though all *sensible* vampires were all ready inbed. Hearing something,   
she whirled around... nothing. Buffy started to get nervous. "Here,   
vampires. Where are you? Show your ugly faces." A thought occured to her. "Angel? Is that you?" Getting no response, she changed her mind on that thought. "I know somebody'shere. Come out,come--" A metal bar swung from   
behind her and hit her soundly in the head. She fell to the ground,   
unconcious.   
  
The next night at an abandoned warehouse, Angel struck a cease-fire truce   
with Spike and Druscilla. Actually, he called the Tranpards Cue, an ancient   
vow between vampires and their Sires where they cannot attack one another.   
It is rarely invoked, and Angel was worried that it wouldn't be binding   
enough to keep them from killing him. However, Buffy had been missing ever   
since this morning, and Angel was desprate enough to try this. He brought   
Xander along because... well, because Xander had insisted.   
  
Dru was reading from her diary to her visitors, who were getting a little   
annoyed. "My 'friend' Angel and I are having a little a little disagreement   
and I was wondering if you could talk some sense into him. I didn't MEAN to   
kill Buffy... it just happened. The Slayer was in the way of Spike's plans,   
and he had a booboo, so I killed the naughty Slayer." She giggled. "Bad   
Slayer. Bad. Angelous wants to kill me now. Aren't you proud of Daddy's   
girl? No one wants to play. They don't like daisies. Do you like daisies?  
Pretty flowers... They die so quickly. Everything I take care of dies."  
  
Xander interrupted her. "Gosh, is anyone else sensing a pattern here?"  
  
Angel wanted answers, however. "Stop joking around, Dru. This is serious.   
What did you do with Buffy?"  
  
Drucilla didn't seem to remember... or maybe she was just acting. "I killed   
her. She's dead... or maybe I lost her. Why is my birdy not singing? Sing,  
little birdy. Where's your pretty music?" She turned to her boyfriend,   
bewildered. "Spike, everything I tend dies.   
  
Spike was sympathetic--and frustrated. He didn't forget his visitors,  
however. "Everything but that bloody slayer. She's been a pain in myside   
for far too long."  
  
Xander wasn't impressed. "Oh, is the big vampire scared of a girl?"  
  
Angel wasn't impressed either. "I'm warning you for the last time: Where's   
Buffy?" He decided to put a little muscle into it.   
  
Spike remained aloof. "If I knew where the Bloody Slayer was, she'd be dead   
already!"  
  
Angel paused, not sure of whether or not to believe him. "Xander, come on.   
Let's go look for Buffy." He and Xander turned to go.   
  
Drucilla wasn't done with them yet, though. "I've got a secret..."  
  
Spike didn't know what she was talking about, but it sounded good to him.   
"What is it, love?"  
  
Dru giggled. "I've got a secret..."  
  
Xander was annoyed yet again. "Point taken. Angel, I thought you wanted to   
go."  
  
Angel walked up to Drucilla and stared her down. "Where is she?"  
  
Dru giggled   
again. "It's a secret. Slayer tastes good."  
  
Spike was still confused, but was starting to get a glimmering of what was   
going on. "Love?"  
  
Angel finally yelled at her. "Where is she?"  
  
Dru smiled sadly and lifted a blanket. Buffy was lying on the ground,  
supposedly dead or close to it. "She didn't want to play..."  
  
"Buffy!" Angel cried, lifting her limp body. Buffy managed a weak whisper   
before she stopped moving and breathing. "Angel..."  
  
Angel felt like crying. "Buffy!" He hugged her, and after a few seconds of   
trying to wake her, he gave up and carried her into the darkness. In an   
instant, they were both gone.   
  
Xander gasped and turned to Spike and Drucilla. "Is she-- you killed her,   
didn't you?"  
  
Spike turned to his girl. "He's good."  
  
Xander felt his duty to protect his protector. "You-- you-- You better be   
glad that Buffy isn't here... well, in a sense, I guess she is... but, hey,   
don't change the subject or anything." He suddenly realized that Angel was   
gone. "Angel? Man, I'm gonna put a bell on that guy someday." He looked at   
Spike, and realized the vamp was smiling maliciously. "Hmm... well, it's   
been fun, but Ithink I'll just leave." He raced off after Angel.  
  
Dru watched them go, pouting. "I want a snack."   
  
Spike grinned. "Tonight, darling, tonight."  
  
*****  
  
In the library, Giles, Willow, and Cordelia were sitting around doing   
research. Willow was imagining all the bad things that could've happened to   
Buffy, and freaking everyone else out while doing it. Willow panicked out   
loud. "And then, there could have been the return of the insect man. Or   
maybe a cult! Ooo, scary... cults make people do bad things, like, uh,  
y'know, uh... stuff. Oh, what if Angel can't get there in time? I'll shut   
up now."  
  
Giles wasn't listening and decided to darken the mood some more. "Yes,   
yes, that would be appreciated. Oh, look, here in this book... it says that   
The Order Of Terak cannot be permanently killed." He turned the page. "It   
takes them about three months to revive."  
  
Cordelia was enthusiasic. "Oh, goody. Has anyone seen Xander lately? Not   
that I care or anything."  
  
Xander burst in, worried out of his mind. "Where's Angel?"  
  
Giles was allowed to be slightly upset. "Wasn't he with you?"  
  
Cordelia sighed. "See, he can't even keep track of a simple man. Geez,what   
a moron."  
  
Xander panted. "We found Buffy--"  
  
"Oh, yea! Why don't you seem happy?" Willow asked.  
  
"Willow..." Xander tried to control himself. "Buffy... she's... oh,god."  
  
Willow was being very naive. "She's what? Happy to be found?"  
  
Giles, unfortunately though, was not. "Oh, no." He buried his head in his   
arms.  
  
Cordelia wasn't either. "Gosh..."  
  
Willow still didn't get it. "What's going on?"  
  
Giles wiped a tear from his eye. "Willow, call Kendra. Tell her... tell her   
it's her turn. She's the Slayer now."  
  
Willow cried out in confusion. "Why? For it to be her turn, Buffy would   
have to be d--d-- oh. Oh, no! Buffy's-- she can't--but--I'm going to faint   
now. Somebody catch me."  
  
Giles panicked inside. His Slayer was dead? "No, Willow, this is no time   
for this. We need to know who killed her. Are, uh, are you sure she's, uh,   
dead?"  
  
Xander was also panicking, though not just on the inside. "She wasn't  
breathing, and it looked like all the CPR in the world couldn't have saved   
her... not to mention Angel spiriting her off like that. Oh, God, what are   
we gonna do?"  
  
Giles took off his glasses, trying to calm himself as well as the slayerettes.   
"Just... breathe. I know it's hard, but if someone killed her, they're more   
powerful than the Master."  
  
Xander felt a sense of dread come over him. "It was Dru."  
  
Giles felt same. "Oh, dear."  
  
Willow was in shock. "Poor Buffy."  
  
Angel silently entered wearing his vampire face and laid Buffy on the table.   
Grieving, he mumered something only the comatose girl could hear. "Buffy..."  
  
Willow was the first to notice their entrance. "Woah, um, Buffy's here."   
  
Cordelia screamed. "AHHHHH!"  
  
Xander looked at her grimly. "I know. Dead Buffy is kinda hard to swallow."  
  
"No! He's-- He's... AHHHHH!"  
  
Xander rolled his eyes. "What? Are the big, scary dead couple scaring you?"  
  
Cordelia pointed to Angel. "He's a vampire!"  
  
Giles was confused. "Well, yes."   
  
Willow tore her eyes off Buffy long enough to look at her. "Didn't you know   
that?"  
  
Cordelia looked at them like they were talking rocks. "No!"  
  
Willow turned to Angel. "I'm sorry about your loss... I mean... Buffy's  
dead... I mean... I'll shut up now."  
  
Angel looked at the living crowd. "I could use some help, here." His game   
face went away.  
  
Xander raised his eyebrows. "What's with the face? Those nasty fleas biting   
again?"  
Angel spoke slowly, obviously in pain. "I had to fight my way here...they've  
surrounded the library... Wasn't taking Buffy enough?" He sat heavily in a   
chair, holding Buffy's hand.   
  
Giles looked painful and patted him on the shoulder uncomfortably. "Yes, I   
know." He patted him uncomfortably on the shoulder. "She is... was our   
freind, too. She was my Slayer... Well, uh, what do you need help with?"  
  
Angel looked up, surprised. "She still is your friend."  
  
Xander looked at the vampire. "She's dead. 'Was' tends to be the operative  
term in such cases."  
  
Angel begged to differ. "She's alive."  
  
Xander rolled his eyes. "Okay, Angel's gone bye-bye. How's everyone else   
holding up?"  
  
Willow leaned over and checked Buffy's neck for a pulse. She looked up,   
suprised. "No, he's right! She has a pulse!"  
  
"That's impossible," Xander argued.  
  
Cordelia sat down, looking at the losers around her. "Ohmigod, this is just   
too wierd."  
  
Xander kept talking, even though it was obvious that no one was paying   
attention. "She's dead."  
  
Someone had to take action, so Giles finally decided to. "Willow," he said,   
more calmly than he felt, "go get a blanket from the third drawer in my desk   
in my office. And the first aid kit." Willow, glad for the athority, ran to   
get the blanket and kit.  
  
Xander noisily still demanded attention. "Crazy vampire lady killed her."  
  
Willow yelled from the office, "Is that the left or the right side?"   
  
"I was there. She died."  
  
Giles went to help Willow. "Here, let me look..."  
  
"She's dead." Xander felt for a pulse. "I don't feel anything."   
  
Angel gently moved Xander's fingers to the correct spot on Buffy's neck, more   
for Buffy's sake than sympathy for Xander's feelings. "You saw what they   
wanted you to see."   
  
Xander wasn't to be led astray. "She should be dead. She is dead. This is   
just some wierd dream."   
  
Giles came back with Willow carrying a first aid kit. Willow was carrying   
the blanket. "Xander, do you know anything at all about first aid?"   
  
Xander looked at the librarian. "I know enough."  
  
Giles took that at face value. "Oh, uh, How much is that?"   
  
Xander took a deep breath, knowing that he was the only sane person in the   
room. "That we should dial 911 and start mourning, because this girl's dead."   
  
Angel covered Buffy with blanket. "Hold on, Buffy."   
  
Giles tried to get rid of the hysterical Cordelia and Xander, who was hurting   
more than helping. "Why don't you take Cordelia and um... go get some...   
more blankets?"   
  
Cordelia looked at Angel. "But, he's a vampire!"   
  
Xander pulled her out of there. "Come on, lets leave the dead with the dead."  
  
Willow was confused. "What's he mean by that? Oh... oh. But Buffy's not   
dead."   
  
"Technically," the librarian sighed, "that's not true."   
  
Angel lifted a stray whisp of hair from Buffy's cheek. "Her soul is gone."   
  
Willow frowned. "But... wouldn't that make her... you know, sick... or   
something? Gosh, what would it be like to not have a soul? Probably empty   
and all gross and yucky and..." she trailed off when she noticed Angel's   
pained glance. "...I'll shut up now."   
  
Giles looked around for something for Willow to do. "If you want to be   
helpful, why don't you call Buffy's mother and tell her that she's staying   
over at your house. Then look up the Tos'keniv Legion in The Brown Book.   
This sounds like their handiwork."  
  
Willow got excited and slightly sarcastic when she found that she was allowed  
to touch Giles' precious Brown Book. "Oo, this is serious... we're getting   
out The Brown Book." She went into Gile's office again to make the phone   
call.   
  
Giles looked towards the window. "It's going to be sunrise in a few hours,"  
he commented.   
  
Angel stared down at Buffy's shadowy form. "I can't just leave her like   
this. I need to stay."   
  
Giles sighed. "I expected as much." There was a pause as they bandaged the   
cuts on Buffy's arms, face, neck, and legs. "You are going to need a place   
to stay."   
  
Angel nodded. "Yes. Out of the sun."   
  
"Where you won't be seen."   
  
"Where Spike and Dru won't look for me."   
  
Giles thought for a moment. "Hmm... You know, it IS a Saturday..." he looked   
at watch, "...techinically."  
  
Angel nodded again. "Yes..."   
  
"You could stay at the school... I guess. If you don't get caught by the   
janitor. I've always been curious... how much, you know, do you... sleep?"  
  
Angel sighed. "As long as I can."   
  
Willow came back with The Book. "I found it. And made the call."   
  
Giles rubbed his head. "Wonderful. Now, look up the Tes'kinov Legion. It   
should be in the 'Soul' section."   
  
Willow thumbed through the thin pages, making sure not to crease or tear   
them. "Soul... soul... soul... that should be under the 'S's."   
  
Giles went over to the shelves, looking for some book. "Try the index."  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
  
Xander and Cordelia walked quickly down the street. Cordelia was panicked.  
  
"He's a vampire! That's distgusting!"  
  
Xander felt the small urge to stick up for his best-friend's boyfriend,   
however dead he might be. "Hey, it's not that bad... was that me?"   
  
Cordelia waved her arms wildly. "I mean, he's a vampire, she's the Slayer...   
does anyone else see a problem with this?"  
  
Xander grimaced. "Every day."   
  
Cordelia growled angrily, "Why do I even talk to you? There's no intelligent  
conversation that you can deal with. Everything's a joke to you."   
  
Xander stopped walking, suddenly angry, too. "I'll have you know that not   
everything" is a joke with me!"   
  
Cordelia stopped also. "Oh, yeah? Like what?"  
  
"I happen to take my pizza bagels very seriously."   
  
"You're such a jerk!"   
  
"I can't believe I ever kissed you!" They stood there for a few seconds,   
nose to nose. Their lips met, hard and fast, and they kissed passionately.  
  
Cordelia opened her eyes to find Spike standing behind Xander. "AHHHH!"   
  
Xander pulled away. Gee, thanks. That was not the reaction I was looking   
for."   
  
Spike chirped in his cockney, "Well, if it isn't one of the slayer's very   
special friends."   
  
Xander whirled around. "Ugh, it's Mr. tall, white, and ugly."   
  
Cordelia rubbed her forehead. "Oh, this has got to be the worst night of my   
life."   
  
Xander looked at her, mad again. "Yeah, and it's been great for Buffy, too.   
In case you hadn't heard, she's dead."   
  
Spike smiled. "Pity."   
  
*****  
  
In the library, Giles and Willow were looking in books and Angel was daubbing   
his wounded side with rubbing alcohol.   
  
Willow closed her book. "This is my third book, down the drain. My eyes are   
starting to hurt."   
  
Giles sighed, looking up from his testiment. "Well, there's good news and   
bad news. The good news is that there is only one more book to look in."   
  
Willow practically jumped for joy. "And the bad news?"   
  
Giles sighed again. "That is the bad news."   
  
Willow looked at the single book left. "Oh. It sounds pretty good, right   
about now."   
  
Angel looked at Buffy, who was still still. "We better hurry. Buffy doesn't   
have much time left."   
  
Giles skimmed the texts for anything of value. "Oh, look, here's something.   
It says here that the Tes'kinov Legion is a group of people steal souls.   
There is a complicated method of putting souls into objects such as bottles,   
flasks... anything that can hold somthing liquid without spilling it when   
shook.   
  
Angel continued for him. "They are without mercy. They hire out, but are   
hard to find. Supposedly, they were all killed in the Crusades. My...   
Sire... taught me that. A long time ago. They were... heartless. I don't   
know much more, only that the separation of the soul from the body can only   
be performed once on a single person." He frowned. "But their prey doesn't  
usually survive long enough to find this out."   
  
There was a pause, broken by Giles. "Well. That was informative. It says   
here that to put the soul back in the body, the bottle must be opened within   
24 hours of the separation. Any crack in the bottle will let the soul   
escape... so the bottle has to be airtight."   
  
Willow frowned. "So... someone has to go find a bottle."   
  
Cordelia ran in, wide-eyed. "They took Xander!"   
  
Angel stood up in worry. "Who?"   
  
Cordelia noticed him for the first time. "What's HE doing here?"  
  
Willow looked at the vamp. "Oh, Angel? He's uh... uh... what ARE you   
doing?"   
  
Cordelia pointed a finger at him accusingly. "He's a vampire! He's going to   
bite me, I know it."   
  
Angel rolled his eyes, uncharacteristically immature. "Don't flatter   
yourself."   
  
Giles tried to explain it in terms that Cordelia would understand. "Cordelia,  
Angel is a good vampire."   
  
Cordelia pouted angrily. "There's no such thing. He's in on it!"   
  
Giles gave up trying to explain. "In on what?"   
  
Willow looked around, noticing for the first time that Xander wasn't there.   
"Hey, where's Xander?"   
  
Cordelia sat down, tossing her head and crossing her arms. "Why don't you   
ask the vampire?"  
  
Willow shrugged. "Okay, uh, Angel, where's Xander? Angel? Angel?" They   
looked around, but he'd already left. "Okay. Angel's gone. Great."   
  
Giles looked around nervously. "Buffy doesn't have very much time left.   
Where's Xander?"   
  
Cordelia paced back and forth. "Spike took him."   
  
Willow's brow furrowed. "Why would he want to do that?"   
  
"I don't know! Why would I know? Ask Mr. Science over there!" She pointed   
at Giles. Both the girls looked at the Watcher.   
  
Giles looked around, as if there were another Mr. Science in the room. "Well,  
it would be my guess that they need to preform some kind of ceremony or, or   
something. He was there when Buffy died... twice, actually. Though, the   
first time, she died with the Master, and he just brought her back to life,   
but still... that has to mean something.   
  
Cordelia sat on a chair with a thump. "Great. Just great." She started to  
cry.   
  
Willow wasn't sure about what to do. "Oh, it'll be okay. Just... think   
about something else. Um, have you seen that new movie that just came out?  
It's the classic 'guy meets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl back' romance  
with a really cute guy."   
  
"Cute..." she sobbed. "Xander..."   
  
Willow tried to make sense of what Cordelia was 'saying'. "Um, excuse me...   
but what were you doing when Spike came?"   
  
"Nothing." She wiped her eyes. "Nothing." Willow and Giles exchanged a   
glance. "What?"   
  
*****  
  
Spike and Dru were in the warehouse. Xander was unconcious in a cage hanging  
from the ceiling. "So, when do you think our houseguest is going to wake   
up?" He poked Xander with a long, metal stick. "Wakey, wakey."  
  
Drucilla gazed up at Xander with a dazed expression on her face. "Rise and   
shine." There was a pause. "Why doesn't he wake up? I'm hungry, Spike.   
Can I have a snack?"   
  
Spike patted her hand. "Not now, darling. We need him. The ceremony cannot  
go on without him."   
  
"Just a little bite?"   
  
Spike smiled indulgently. "Later, honey, later." He swooped her up in a   
crazy waltz. She laughed with hysterical delight.  
  
  
Angel crouched behind some boxes, watching the exchange. A teenager, about   
15 years old, dressed in bluejeans and a t-shirt was crouched beside him.   
  
Angel glanced at her. "Thanks for helping me out. I'm going to need all the  
help I can get."  
  
The girl shifted slightly on the cold floor. "Hey, anything for an old   
friend." She smiled warmly. "After 5,000 years, I think I can get a little   
time off work. Heaven's okay." She paused. "You're all right. You know   
that? For a vamp you're an okay guy. I missed you those years."   
  
Angel smiled back. "Thanks, Diab. That means a lot, coming from you."   
  
She studied him. "You really love her, don't you?"   
  
Angel looked her right in the eye. "Yes. A lot."   
  
She giggled, wrinkling her nose in immature glee. "Imagine, you, in love...   
that's actually a pretty funny picture. You... in love... the loner... gosh,   
if she wasn't in trouble right now, I'd laugh." There was another pause, and   
they both turn back to Spike and Dru.   
  
Dru sniffed the air. "There's someone here. Very strong. She gives me the   
shivers."   
  
Spike groaned. "ANOTHER blasted slayer? How may of the damned girls are   
there?"   
  
Dru frowned. "No, not exactly a Slayer..."   
  
Xander slowly, dizzily woke up. "Hey..." He felt his temple. "Oh, yeah,   
that's gonna hurt later."   
  
Spike's attention turned back to Xander. "Well, well, well, if it isn't our   
friend!"   
  
Xander looked down, shifting uncomfortably on the bars. "Are you talking to   
me? 'Cause I'm no friend of yours."   
  
Spike wasn't impressed. "Very nice. Just hang there for a while while my   
Dru and I set up the sacrifice." He turned to Dru. "Come on, darling."  
  
Xander called after them, "Sacrifice? For me? Gosh, you shouldn't have."   
He grumbled, muttering to himself, "How do I get out of here?"   
  
Spike called back, "And don't bother escaping. I've set it up so that the   
vampire gaurds here will kill any of your friends that try to rescue you.   
Tough break, huh?"   
  
"Yee-ha. Buffy! Help! Buffy! Help...somebody...anybody... oh, shoot."   
  
The girl reached for her bag of stakes. "This should be fun. I haven't done   
anything like this since... since... oh, gosh, the Crusades, maybe."   
  
Angel focused on his goal. "Okay, on the count of three... one, two...three!"  
  
Diabolique jumped up on a box with her bag full of stakes. "Are you guys   
ready for this? I know I am. It's what I've been waiting for all my life."   
She looked up at Xander. "Hey! Need some help?"   
  
Xander gulped. "Uh, those are not your everyday hitmen/kidnappers."   
  
Diabolique gave a cocky smile. "I know. They're smaller." A vampire   
charged her and she threw a stake right in his heart. "They fall eaisier,   
too." The vamp disinegrated.  
  
Xander sighed sarcastically. "Well, okay, as long as you know what you're   
doing."  
  
Angel stood up and smiled at the girl. "You always were one for the direct   
approach."  
  
"You want sublty, go find Teresa."  
  
Xander suddenly saw Angel. "Angel! Buddy! Pal!" He pointed to his cage   
door. "Open the door! Open the door! Please, before they sacrifice me   
to... shut me up."   
  
Diabolique turned to Angel. "Cute friend." The vampires attacked.   
Diabolique and Angel killed them all, with Diabolique killing most. She was   
a better fighter than Angel with a different style than Buffy. Her style   
seemed to work better.   
  
Angel communicated quickly with Diabolique. "You get Xander out of there.   
I'll worry about the bottle."   
  
Diabolique groaned. "Sure, give me the fun job." She grabbed a rope from   
the floor and tied a heavy weight to it as she looked up. "Hey! Flyboy! Up   
in the clouds!"  
  
Xander looked down. "Who are you?"   
  
"Angel's friend. Move!"  
  
Xander raised his eyebrows. "As you can see, I'm stuck in here, sadly."   
  
"To the corner. If you get hit by this, I'm not carrying you."   
  
Xander moved to the corner of the cage. "What type of friend, souled or   
not?"   
  
She grunted, swinging the weighted rope experimentally. "Depends when you   
ask me." She threw up the weighted end of the rope. It hooked around a bar   
and Xander tied it down. She climbed up the rope quickly and quietly. When   
she got to the top, she climbed onto the cage and started to pick the lock of   
the door, grunting a little.   
  
Xander looked at her, concerned. "Are you okay?"   
  
Diabolique grimaced. "Just don't tickle me." The door swung open, and   
Diabolique re-fastened the rope so it was possible to climb down without   
climbing across the cage bottom. She scurried down. "You can thank me   
later."   
  
Xander looked down the swaying rope. "Oh, no, I'm not climbing down that!"   
  
"Guys!" Diabolique muttered, and gave him a Look. "Climb down or fall down,  
whichever makes you happy. Don't look at ME for help; I don't have enough   
upper body strength."  
  
Xander put up his hands in surrender. "Don't worry about me, the ground'll   
break my fall." He slid down the rope and got rope burns. "Oww! Ouch!"   
  
Diabolique shushed him and went to Angel, who was rifling through all the   
stuff looking for a bottle. "Find it?"   
  
Xander looked at them. "So, this isn't about me? Okay, I can take a hint."   
  
Angel looked around, panicking. "It's not here!"   
  
Xander took a small glass bottle out of his pocket. "Okay, it's not here,   
now let's go!"   
  
Angel frowned. "But, it has to be here!"   
  
Diabolique searched the boxes and tables quickly. "How about this?" She   
held up a bottle marked 'holy water'.   
  
Angel shivered. "You try it! I can't."   
  
Xander twirled the bottle in his hands. "What? What are we looking for?"   
  
Diabolique popped the cork and sniffed the contents of the 'holy water'   
bottle. "No, this really is holy water." She looked at her watch and sighed.   
"We have five minutes."   
  
Angel grew frantic. "It has to be here!"   
  
Xander played with his bottle, drumming it in his hand. "What? What?"   
  
Angel noticed his bottle. "Where did you get that?"   
  
Xander looked at it. "Oh, this old thing? When we first came, it was sitting   
on a box."  
  
Diabolique counted off on her watch. "One minute."   
  
Angel held out his hand for the bottle. "Give it to me!"   
  
Xander held it close to his body in a possessive manner. "Hey, finders   
keepers. Why do you want it?"   
  
Diabolique kept her eyes on the clock. "Just give the bottle to him."   
  
Angel made a wild grab at the precious glass object. "That's the one that   
holds Buffy's soul!" Angel and Xander struggled for the bottle, and Angel   
finally got it. He threw it on the ground to break it. Nothing happened.   
  
Diabolique jumped on the bottle over and over while counting down the seconds.  
"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2--" The glass cracked the tiniest bit and   
the bottle shattered, freed of its load.   
  
Angel grined and picked up Diabolique in a spinning bear hug. "Yea!"   
  
Xander looked at them. "Did I just miss somthing, here?"   
  
Diabolique checked her watch again. "Half an hour to sunrise. Can you make   
it back to the library in time?"   
  
Angel smiled a toothy smile. "I'll make it."   
  
  
In the library, Giles, Cordelia, Xander, and Willow were sitting around doing  
nothing. Buffy opened her eyes and looked around. "What's going on?" She  
held her head. "Ouch."   
  
Angel came out from the shadows. "Buffy!" He kissed her.   
  
Buffy pulled back in suprise. "I should wake up more often. What was that   
for?"   
  
Xander looked around, frustrated. "I wish someone would tell me what's going  
on!"   
  
Willow sighed. "Xander, you're impossible! Gosh, and I thought I was   
clueless."  
  
Buffy looked at Willow wryly. "Willow, you are."   
  
Xander looked around again. "Hey, where'd supergirl go?"   
  
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Supergirl?"   
  
Xander nodded. "Yeah, the girl who rescued me from the cage."   
  
"Xander was in a cage? Wait a minute, explain just how much I missed."   
  
Angel grabbed Xander's arm and dragged him outside the library into the hall.   
"Excuse me."   
  
Xander shook free of Angel's grip and rubbed his arm. "Ow, ow, easy on the   
merchandise! What? What?"   
  
Angel gave him an intense look. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't   
mention Diabolique to anyone."   
  
"Okay! Why not?"   
  
"She's an old friend... and none of your buisness."   
  
Xander raised his arms in a surrender. "Hey, just curious? Is she... you   
know, a vamp?"   
  
Angel gave an un-Angelish snort. "Hardly. Let's just say that she's older   
than me, okay?"   
  
Xander cocked his head, curious. "How much older?"   
  
"Old enough. Drop the subject."   
  
"Okay. Now, why can't I mention her?"   
  
Angel glared at him. "It's none of your buisness." He started to go back   
into the library.  
  
Xander caught the vampire's shoulder in his hand, restraining him. "Hey,   
man... I won't. And thanks for saving my hide back there."  
  
Angel smiled. "I didn't, she did. But I'll tell her you're greatful."   
  
Xander patted him on the back as they walked back into the library. "You're   
okay... for a vampire."  
  
"Thanks." 


	2. Appearance and Disappearance

  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, least of all the characters mentioned in this fanfic. They are all owned (with the exception of  
Diabolique) by Joss. I didn't make up the name 'Diabolique', I got it off a preview for a movie I never saw. Oh, yeah, and I  
quote a little from the musical "Les Miserables". It's wonderful. I didn't write it. The song is by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel  
Schronberg, and Herbie Kretzmer.  
  
  
  
"I'm torn between a clever retort and the pleasure of hitting you over the head."   
  
--Yvonne's daily notes  
  
  
  
Diabolique's scowl to the quivering female was indeed terrifying. With a cold look, she held the summons up in front of her face  
and calmly ripped it in two, her superior attitude daring contradiction. Tossing the pieces on the floor, she flipped her tight braid  
over her shoulder and silently stared at the messanger.  
  
The other angel shivered, but she had been chosen for her strength to withstand the terrible gaze, so she summoned her courage  
and tried to hide her flinch. "Transfer effective immediately. Your replacement is on his way, so please do not linger." Her voice  
trembled a little, but she stood her ground.  
  
The dark angel's voice was ice. "This is where I work. This is what I do. You've tried to change me, make me all pastels and  
pink and whatnot, but it hasn't worked, and now I just want to be left alone."  
  
The other lady took a deep breath and swallowed her fear. "It's final. Take the assignment. Go now." The force of her words  
was negated by the trembling of her voice  
  
Oh, please, she mimicked in her mind. Don't let the scary girl hurt me! Diabolique crossed her arms angrily. "There are  
twenty other people that I can think of off the top of my head who would be much better for this crappy job than me,"--oh, did  
she enjoy the other girl's flinch at her vulgar language!--"so go grace their space and leave me alone!" She paused for a moment,  
mentally reviewing what she had just said. Rhyming? Oy. I need to get out more.  
  
The lady messanger was suprisingly resilient. "No. You are the only one. You will report down there ASAP."  
  
Swearing a little more, not quite under her breath, Diabolique thought about this suprising turn of events for a moment. "Why  
me?" she finally asked.  
  
"Why any of us?" The lady couldn't meet her eyes. "No one else wanted to. No one else can."  
  
Diabolique twitched. "Anyone else can. Thank you, but I have to decline your kind offer."  
  
Frustrated, the lady threw up her hands. "Your mother would!"  
  
The deceptively relaxed body posture stiffened. "My mother's not here. I am."  
  
"Why can't you be more like her? Less abrasive, more accepting? She should be here, not y--" She covered her mouth with her  
hand as she realized her error. "Oh, no! I didn't mean--"  
  
Diabolique began to walk away from her old job and life--forever. "Yes," she declared softly, suddenly tired beyond belief.  
"Yes, you did."  
  
  
  
Buffy looked around nervously. Something didn't feel right. She had slain three vampires, stopped a demon from flooding the  
city, and saved Giles from falling flat on his face in the library twice without breaking a sweat or a nail, but now... now there was  
something else, almost a presence. She looked around, still not seeing anything. Of course, Xander had broken the principle rule  
of adventurous lives just this evening: Never, ever say how boring life is. Never talk about needing excitement. Hello, Slayer  
here! Doesn't he get enough?  
  
There was a tingling in her abdomen, and she whirled around. On a gravestone in the quiet cemetary sat a solitary girl about her  
age, wearing loose blue jeans with holes in the knees and a teal, fitted, yet not tight, t-shirt.  
  
"So..." The girl toyed a little with the end of her high-ponytail braid.  
  
Respect the dead much? Buffy sighed in relief. "You shouldn't be out so late. It's dangerous."  
  
The girl seemed unfazed. "You're out late."  
  
Buffy looked around her, still looking for the source of the tingles. "I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Do you?" the strange girl asked, eyes dissecting her. "You're Buffy Summers, right? The Slayer?" Buffy gave her a faked blank  
look. "You know, the Vampire Slayer? 'For every generation there a slayer. She alone can fight the--'"  
  
"Who are you?" Buffy demanded, feeling slightly squeamish. She advanced on the petite girl.  
  
The girl ignored the last question. "Well, you haven't exactly made yourself secret. What do you say to people, 'Hi, I'm Buffy the  
Vampire Slayer. I'm the one out of my generation chosen to slay vampires. By the way, did I mention that I live on the  
Hellmouth?' Can we not say 'secret identity', or we just stupid?"  
  
The Slayer assumed fighting stance. "What do you want? Who are you?"  
  
The girl seemed to think about this for a few minutes. "A vampire," she finally decided on. "I'm a vampire."  
  
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "No offence, but you are seriously not giving off vampire vibes."  
  
The girl's face suddenly contorted into the hunting face of a vampire, and with a snarl, she assumed fighting stance also. "Boo."  
  
Buffy pulled out a stake, ready to slay the girl. With a flip, however, the girl was behind Buffy. The Slayer turned around and  
threw a well-placed punch at the vamp's face. However, the vamp-girl stepped neatly to the side and blocked easily. With her  
out-stretched arm, she twisted Buffy's fist behind her back and flipped the Slayer over. Skipping away, she sat on a nearby  
tombstone. "Why did you try to stake me?" she asked in a sing-song voice.  
  
Buffy, disbelieving, stood up and grabbed her stake, not taking her eyes off the girl. "I'm the Vampire Slayer, remember? It's  
what I do."  
  
The girl looked at her, easily meeting her eyes. "You let Angelous live."  
  
Buffy kicked at the girl, who once again flipped out of the way. "You're not Angel."  
  
"How do you know I'm a vampire?"  
  
The question obviously took Buffy by surprise as she spun around to once again face the odd vampire. "You have a game face.  
You told me you were." What's this wacko-kid's problem?  
  
"I could've been lying. If you believe everything that everyone tells you, you're in worse shape than I thought."  
  
"I'll take my chances with you as the vamp and me as the Slayer, capishe?"  
  
The girl rubbed her temples. "Good grief. Look, trust your gut, not your butt... or is it brain? I can't seem to tell the diff."  
  
Buffy glared at the girl's sarcasm. "Hey! I have a cute butt!" She lunged forward, only to be lunging into air as the girl/vamp  
sidestepped and flipped backwards.  
  
"Ehhh, try again! This time, look for subtle inconsistancies in me. And, reading your Spider sense should help, O Eternally  
Clueless One."  
  
As the girl moved, Buffy noticed a small, gold cross dangling from a thin, delicate chain at the other's throat. That and the  
realization that her "Spider Sense" wasn't going haywire induced her to put the stake back. She didn't, however, relax her guard.  
"A demon, then. Bring it on."  
  
Suddenly, Angel burst through the trees. "Buffy, I heard you fighting... You!" he cried, taking sight of the girl. "What are you  
doing here?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Nice to see you too, Ang. Yes, yes, I'm fine. No, don't get up, I'll be fine."  
  
Buffy glanced at Angel. "Friend of yours?"  
  
The girl sauntered over to Angel. "Nice girlfriend. A little low on the wattage, but, hey, that's what the Watcher's for." The girl  
was acting casual and friendly. Too friendly, according to Buffy.  
  
"Who are you? What are you? What do you want?"  
  
The girl tipped her imaginary hat and made an exaggerated bow. "The name's Bond. James Bond. I'll be seeing ya." She walked  
away, fading into the shadows.  
  
Angel turned to Buffy. "What did she say to you? Did she try to get you to come with her? Did she touch you?"  
  
Buffy was still upset by the insult to her intelligence. "What the hell was that all about? She just turned into a vampire and then  
tried to convince me that she wasn't one!"  
  
Angel grabbed her shoulders tightly, a little panic in his eye. "Buffy, did she touch you?"  
  
A little surprised at the intensity, Buffy answered the question. "No. Why?"  
  
Angel was almost relieved. "So, nothing about, oh, um... 'Come with me, where chains will ne'er bind you. All your grief, at last,  
at last, behind you'?"  
  
Buffy frowned. "That sounds like some kinda song or something."  
  
That's because she copied it. Angel sighed. "So, that doesn't ring any bells?"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "The bells are silent. Why?"  
  
"Oh, no reason."  
  
"You wouldn't be holding back, would you? I'm not gonna die again, am I?"  
  
Angel paused. "Not if I can help it." Leaning over, he kissed her tenderly.  
  
  
  
The door swung closed as Angel entered his apartment. "Well," came a voice from the dark, "you certainly were friendly. No,  
'Hi, how are you? Let me take your coat. Nice weather, huh?' Nope, you just dispensed with the formalities all together."  
Nevermind that she didn't have a coat.  
  
Angel flipped on the light, revealing the cross lady on his couch. "Diabolique."  
  
"Why, yes, that _is_ my name. Not, 'hey, you' or 'Buffyareyouokay' or 'Whatdoyouthinkyou'redoing'. Just plain, simple, boring,  
completely worthless Diabolique. Have a seat on the couch. I still don't bite."  
  
Angel sat. "Stay away from Buffy. It's not her time yet."  
  
"I'm not going to take your precious slayer yet. But when her time comes... I'll be there to see it happens."  
  
"Diab--"  
  
"Look, you've never liked my work, okay?" she snapped. Softening her tone, she continued gently, "But you promised that you  
wouldn't let it interfere with our relationship." She lay her hand on his arm. "You're my friend. Quite possibly the only one I have.  
Please, let's not argue."  
  
Angel looked at his hands. "I guess. I just think--"  
  
"Don't. It's not good for you to think too much. Your brains will rust. I speak from experience."  
  
Angel smiled faintly, though worry lines still hovered around his face. "I've never known you to play with your victims before. I  
thought you were above that. I guess I was wrong."  
  
"Now, now," Diabolique scolded gently, "Victim is such a harsh word... I prefer 'protege' or 'student' or 'worshipper'... you're  
not laughing. Good Lord, you're not even smiling. I think you're serious. You're actually serious. You mean those horrible  
things! Are you serious?"  
  
"Look, I know you have your job to do, and I respect that and all, but you know I'm not going to let you take Buffy from me."  
  
"She'll always be in your heart." Angel glared at her. "Okay, sue me. I've never been sweet and nice and all that crap, but don't  
worry. She'll live to see tommorrow, if I have any say in it. Besides, isn't this romance a little star-crossed? I mean, come on,  
vampire meets Slayer, one kills the other, life goes on..."  
  
"You've changed. You didn't used to be heartless." Angel was using his pittying tone, and that really cheesed Diabolique off.  
  
"You've changed, too! You didn't used to be stupid!" She sighed, looking at her watch. "We've never fought before, huh.  
Namesake--"  
  
"Don't call me that!" he snapped.  
  
"Fine, Angelous." She spat his name like a taunt and stood up, frustrated. "I had a nice visit. I'll be seeing you." Quickly, she  
walked towards the door, letting herself out noiselessly. Angel watched as she left, unsure of what to say. "I'll be seeing you."  
  
  
  
Buffy crawled lethargically into bed, not sure if she could wait until she were actually laying down to sleep. Plopping down, she  
finally gave up her struggle to pull the covers back from her bed and slept. Unseen in the shadows, Diabolique watched silently  
as the Slayer slept. Then, when she was certain the teen was asleep, she gently pulled the covers up around Buffy and tucked  
her in, almost motherly. "Sleep safely," she whispered. "Sleep."   
  
  
As Buffy came down the hall in school the next day, Giles practically jumped out of nowhere and assailed her. "Buffy!" he cried.  
"Did you prehaps... um... can I talk to you in the library?"  
  
Buffy looked at him, a little wierded out. "Um, sure Giles, I guess..." They headed to the library, him setting the pace at grueling.  
  
As he pulled her into the library, she dropped back stubbornly. "Okay, Giles," she said, crossing to the table and sitting on it.  
"What's on your mind that's so deathly important that you had to yank me away from physics? Whatever it is, it deserves top  
priority. Feel free to take a couple hours."  
  
Giles looked around nervously. "Well, I was going through the texts last night, and, uh, I, um, came across something..." He  
hurridly flipped through one of his big books.  
  
Buffy looked annoyed. "Okay, what is it? Spill, Giles."  
  
"Well, uh, did you meet anyone last night? While you were slaying, I mean?"  
  
"Just the usual baddies, Angel... oh, yeah, there was one wierd happening." Buffy played with a strand of her hair  
absentmindedly. "There was this one really wierd girl... she tried to convince me that she was or wasn't a vampire, or something  
like that. When Angel came though, she went all friendly and left."  
  
"Did she, um, try to convince you to come with her?"   
  
"You mean, did she pull her van with darkened windows over next to me and offer me candy?"  
  
Giles gave her a blank look. "Um... not exactly."  
  
Buffy shook her head. "Angel asked the same thing. Why?"  
  
Giles rubbed his neck, deep in thought. "Oh... hmm... odd... Maybe I translated incorrectly..."  
  
Buffy cocked her head. "Why? What'd ya think?"  
  
"Oh, it, uh, just said some, uh, things about, uh... maybe it's the year... the text is quite old..."  
  
"Hum-hmm, look, Giles, is this gonna turn out to be another late night thing? 'Cause I've got... stuff."  
  
Giles saw through her completely. "This, uh, 'stuff' wouldn't happen to involve Angel, would it?"  
  
"Maybe... alright, we have a date, okay?" Giles started to say something. "Look, we'll do a little slaying, and I'll run over the  
park and cemetary on my way home."  
  
Giles gave her a nervous look before scribling out a pass to her first hour class. "Well... alright... I guess... just be careful, okay,  
Buffy?"  
  
Buffy smiled mischeviously and took the piece of paper. "Gosh, Giles," she sang as she skipped out. "Aren't I always?"  
  
Giles sighed, muttered something unintelligable and turned back to the book. Neither of them noticed a pale-faced girl hiding,  
hovering after Buffy, in the shadows.  
  
  
  
Angel looked at his watch, worried. Buffy was late, and not even fashionably late anymore. Well, maybe she just got stopped  
on the way here; she is the Slayer, and vampires happen... maybe she forgot... maybe she was grounded... no, she'd  
call... maybe... maybe... and his thoughts cut off as a harried Diabolique stumbled out of the darkness, sobbing. "Diab--what's  
wrong?" He took her into his arms, worried. She never cries.  
  
"I can't find her." She sniffed, burying her head in his chest and clutching the sleeves of his jacket.  
  
"Can't find who?"  
  
"Buffy! Who else?"  
  
He pulled away, snarling. "Of course, still playing your mind games! I'm not going to help you look for her, just so you can kill  
her! You're by yourself this time, sailor!"  
  
Tears streamed down her face, making everything blurry. "Angel, no, really, I need your help! I should be able to find her no  
matter what, through thick and thin! Dead or alive! In sickness and in health! All that! But she just--she just..." She hiccoughed.  
"Just--plip! Gone off the radar! Please, I..." She bowed her head in shame. "I need help."  
  
"Bull!" he snarled, glaring. Shaking his head, he calmed down. "Diab, I can't help you with this. I can't trust you to keep her alive  
if--when--you find her. And I can't stop you. Believe me, I've tried."  
  
"So, what are you saying?"  
  
"Go away, Diabolique... and stay away from me and Buffy!"  
  
Diabolique stepped back, letting go of his sleeves. "Fine," she said, sniffing, using her hand to smear the tears away from her  
eyes. She swallowed and allowed her stony mask to harden her face. Make me ice. She stalked into the darkness of the night,  
clutching a black choker with a red gem on it. "He's always trusted me... before..." she whispered to the night.  
  
  
  
Angel watched the figure disappear. Unbeknownst to her, she had upset him more than he wanted to admit. Looking at his  
watch once again, he proceeded to wait, becoming more and more anxious, and starting to wonder if he should call Giles. I'll  
give her a few more minutes.   
  
  
Giles sat at his desk, rereading the prophecy once again. "This... uh, it... doesn't make any sense anymore..."  
  
Xander clucked his finger at the Brit in a mother-hen fashion. "You've been studying too hard. You see, that's because you don't  
have what the real world calls a life. Take my advice, Giles, and--Giles?" He heard a snore. "Giles? Now he decides to sleep.  
Now," he reached into his backpack, "I can get back to the adventures of The Worminator. Best comic book around." He  
settled down in a chair, immersed in the comic. "Ooo, scary..."  
  
A figure in ripped jeans and a teal t-shirt slipped silently through the library doors and glided towards the sleeping Giles. Xander  
didn't notice, as engrossed in his worm adventures as he was, and so the girl kept walking. Reaching Giles, she pulled one of the  
heavy tombes off the desk and set it softly on the desk. Opening it, Diabolique quietly thumbed through the giant book until she  
came to a certain chapter, where she commenced scanning the huge pages for information. She turned a couple pages, and they  
fluttered noiselessly down. On the next page, however, she found something interesting... and horrifying. She began to mouth the  
words silently as she read, more in fear than habit.  
  
'The One who Slayeth  
  
And the One who Killeth  
  
Will surely meet,  
  
And one will traceth their sign on  
  
The other, and Time will stop.'  
  
"Damn cryptics," she muttered angrily, "Why can't they just say out and out what's gonna happen?" She turned the page with a  
crack, wanting to see the rest of the text.  
  
Xander looked up at the sudden noise, hurridly putting his comic book down. "What the--"  
  
Diabolique froze in mid finger-point following the ancient language, and slowly brown eyes met green.  
  
And smiles of relief broke out.  
  
"You!" they both exclaimed in unison, sighing in happiness as good fortune smiled upon them.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Xander asked loudly.  
  
"Shhhh!" Diabolique hissed, crossing and pulling his arm away from the sleeping librarian. "Do you want to wake Mr.  
I-never-sleep-when-the-world-is-ending up before the slight time line of when he'll be awake enough to keep me here or asleep  
enough to let me go?"  
  
"Ow!" Xander rubbed his arm. "Be careful with the merchandise. I happen to be considered pretty expensive equipment  
nowadays."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked again, more quietly this time.  
  
She glanced around nervously. "Buffy's in trouble. I needed to do research."  
  
"Buffy's in trouble? What's going on?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"I dunno."  
  
"What do you know?"  
  
"Buffy's in trouble."  
  
"Great!" Xander exclaimed, more sarcastic than he meant to be. "That just about covers the basics."  
  
She gave him a pitying glance. "I _said_ I needed to do reseach."  
  
Xander looked around, thinking. "Does Angel know?" he asked, not sure of what to do.  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest, her warm, innocent demeanor suddenly turning cool. "We decided to work separately on  
this venture."  
  
Xander blinked in suprise. "But... I always thought that you two were, you know, best buds or something."  
  
"Or something," she echoed dryly. "But, I don't have time for this. I need to finish reading my passage before I go out to look  
for Buffy again."  
  
"That won't be nessecary," an extremely agitated British voice spoke up. "We'll find Buffy on our own."  
  
Xander and Diabolique both whirled around to face Giles, who was now standing in front of his desk. "What do you mean?"  
Xander asked. "She just wants to help. She's with Angel. You know, in a friendly sorta way."  
  
"Yeah, I just want to help," she echoed mock-meekly.  
  
"I'm sure," the Watcher told them in an angry tone. "Xander, step away from her."  
  
"Why?" he inquired, curious and frightened by Giles' mood.  
  
"She's going to kill Buffy."  
  
Xander stepped away from her. "But, she's my friend. This is a very cool chick."  
  
Giles frowned, not impressed. "Xander, may I say that your taste in women is rather, uh... well, uh, first there was the preying  
mantis, and then there was the mummy..."  
  
Xander winced. "All right already, all right, you've made your point. No need to rub the proverbial salt in the wound... But she's  
not like them. She saved my life."  
  
"She's dangerous... according the prophecys I've found, she, ah, can't be allowed around Buffy."  
  
"I think she's trustworthy!"  
  
Giles glared at him, then looked to where the girl was standing, watching the fight.  
  
Or, rather, had been. 


	3. A&D, cont.

  
Diabolique had learned little from the prophecy, and was annoyed. Standing in the shadows of the library, she watched the  
Watcher say a cute little, "Oh, dear" and smiled. Her smile faded, though, and she was overcome with the emotion of self-pity.  
Not one she usually indulged in, but this time she'd make an exception. Her first assignment, and already she'd lost her subject.  
No, this was not something she wanted on her resume. If only she hadn't stopped to save that rabbit from being run over by a  
truck and had assumed that Buffy would be okay... but then, Buffy's presence had just disappeared. There was no mental  
locater beep in her brain, and it was almost as if Buffy had never been born. But she reasoned,if Buffy had never been born,  
then Giles wouldn't be worried, Willow wouldn't be so not-shy, and vampires would've taken over the world... so  
something must've happened to her... She assumed that Buffy would be okay. How bright of her. *Note to self: Never  
assume. It makes an 'ass' outta me and loses the slayer.*  
  
*Oh, yeah, but back to the crisis at hand...*  
  
Giles looked around to be sure Diabolique was gone.  
  
*Uh-huh, like he can find me if I don't wanna be found.*  
  
"Damn!" the librarian swore, sounding more British than usual. "She's gone!"  
  
Xander, to give him credit, was taking this all in stride. "What did you mean, she's going to kill Buffy?"  
  
Giles sat down, upset. "Well, I can't be sure... but, if I knew her name, I could confirm her, uh, status."  
  
Xander, confused but glad to be helpful, provided the name. "Diabolique." Giles looked at him with morbid interest. "I'm  
allowed to have knowledge!" the boy exclaimed, slightly offended.  
  
Giles sighed. "Oh, dear."  
  
"I didn't think that it was that suprising."  
  
"No, uh, her name. You see, uh, in Spanish, the word for death is 'Diablo'. Her name is a slight variation on that, 'Diabolique'.  
This confirms my suspicions exactly."  
  
Xander chewed his lip, worried. "And, what exactly would those be?"   
  
"She's the Angel of Death."  
  
Xander was now worried and confused. "Come again? 'Cause, you know, I thought that you said that she was the Angel of  
Death."  
  
*Uh-oh,* thought Diabolique.  
  
Giles scurried over to one of his library shelves and pulled a thick, heavy-looking book out, flipping through it as he spoke.  
"Yes, uh, she, uh, takes people's souls onto the astral plane that they belong on. Essentially, the cliched heaven and hell. Ah," he  
exclaimed as he found what he was looking for, "here it is. Uh, she's quite old... older than Angel... and most other vampires, for  
that matter. Generally un-liked by the other angels because of her... uh... attitude towards... well... everything. She's, uh, very,  
um, agressive, but yet, ah, a, um, pacifist."  
  
"Y'know, this is an entrancing conversation and all, but back to Buffy... you know, the missing Slayer?" Xander sat on the table,  
worried about his friend and not-so-secret crush.  
  
"Uh, yes, um, Buffy. Well, she's probably with Angel now--"  
  
Angel picked that very moment to burst into the library, spikey hair a bit wilder than usual. "Has anyone seen Buffy?"  
  
Diabolique grinned, finding amusement everywhere in everything. *The timing--I couldn't have written it better myself if it  
had been some crazy fanfic on the web or something.* Remembering the situation, however, the smile slipped from her ever-more gloomy face, and she turned back to eavesdropping on the conversation at hand.  
  
Giles head whipped around. "She was supposed to have been with you!"  
  
Angel panicked, almost angry at himself for not stopping Diabolique. "She never showed up--dammit, it's all her fault!"  
  
"I sense we're not talking about Buffy anymore, so, back to the problem at hand..." Xander prompted.  
  
Giles had lost interest in Buffy, gaining intrest in the girl now brought up. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Diabolique... she caused this, I'm sure, somehow. I don't know how, but somehow she did."  
  
*Hey, wait just a cotton-pickin' minute! *  
  
Xander seemed to have the same thought. "No, no, no, not Diabolique. You remember her... your friend? The big cage? Me  
being rescued..."  
  
*Well, brownie points for Xander.*  
  
"She... earlier this evening, she told me that she couldn't find Buffy, and wanted my help. When I wouldn't help her, she got mad  
and stormed off... I think she's going to kill Buffy."  
  
*WHAT!?!*  
  
"Hey, I gathered that the Angel of Death only deals in souls, not the death of people! Isn't that, like, against the rules, or  
something?"  
  
"Or something," Giles commented drily.  
  
"Diabolique was never one to follow the rules," Angel added, anger darkening his voice.  
  
*Down, boy.*  
  
"Oh, dear. Uh, do you have any idea where she might be?"  
  
*C'mon, c'mon, angel needs a new pair of wings...*  
  
"Tonight is a big night for vampires, if the Slayer is alone..."  
  
*Uh-huh...*  
  
"So, are you saying... she's dead?" Xander squeeked.  
  
"No," Giles muttered. "Only if she's lucky."  
  
Angel nodded in agreement. "Spike and Dru probably have her locked up for the ceremony in the warehouse on 14 and Main."  
  
*Bingo! Five in a row! Houston, we have coordinates, now... we just need a map... She walked through the library walls in  
search of Buffy and a map to the twisty-streeted Sunnydale.*  
  
Xander jumped up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"  
  
Giles held him back. "Uh, we, uh, should have some sort of, um, plan. Barging in would probably get us all killed..."  
  
Xander looked at Angel and Giles, who were looking at each other. "So, should I call Willow, or what?"  
  
*****  
  
Diabolique found the warehouse, a difficult thing to do in the dark. She checked her watch. A Casio, water-resistant, black  
plastic, and very durable. *Hmmm... an hour until sunup... I can't wait... I must look now.* Gliding through the walls, she  
swept over the place, searching for Buffy. Voices reached her ears, and she paused in her search. Who was here? She closed  
her eyes, listening. *Angel... Giles... Xander... Cordelia... Willow... I smell a trap... I smell a lawsuit the legal department's  
never gonna believe if the vamps do what I think their gonna... uh, oh.* With super-human reflexes, she whirled around and  
silently jumped onto a pile of boxes. *Uh-oh... uh-oh...*  
  
*****  
  
Angel felt the attack coming... he sensed it... vampires, surrounding the group... the words, "Uh-oh" echoed in his mind, his own  
thoughts, yet someone else's thinking. "Everyone, look out!" he cried, too late.  
  
The vampires decended, closing in in a ring on the poor group of searchers. Giles had a crossbow, Willow was armed with holy  
water, and Xander and Cordy were going on less-conventional methods, but whatever worked, worked.  
  
The vampires were unmerciful. Xander was the first one to go, which was the only thing that saved his life. Thrown against the  
wall, he slumped to the ground, unconcious. Willow, with her holy water, was beaten and beaten, and saved from a bite on the  
neck by Angel, who was armed with stakes. He would have checked on her condition, but he was suddenly overcome with  
vamps from every side. From the corner of his eye, he could see Giles cracked on the head and then shot with his own  
crossbow. Ironic, he thought, belatedly, as he watched his girlfriend's father-figure slump to the ground. "Giles!" he cried out,  
too late, as a vampire decended onto the figure. A vampire that was quickly dusted.  
  
Her form was good, if odd, and Cordelia noticed this from behind a box. Unfortunately, however, she was soon discovered by  
a hungry vampire who had decided to leave the fray. "Help!" she screamed, running towards Diabolique. "You,  
Buffy-wanna-be, help!"  
  
Diabolique gave a powerful roundhouse kick as the remaining holy water that Willow had been carrying was unceremoniously  
dumped on poor Angel. With a scream, he crumpled to the ground, where he was continuously kicked until another vampire  
could find a stake... somewhere. Cordelia was hit by a falling beam of wood, and her head slammed into the ground with a  
bloody crack.  
  
"Angel!!!" Diabolique screamed, her mind suddenly focused. As she closed her eyes, all her surroundings suddenly were  
replaced with a crystal-clear image of what she was to do. With a motion of her hands, all the wooden fragments lying on the  
ground lifted in unison, and as she made a pushing motion to the sides, imbeded themselves into bad vampires' hearts.  
  
Raising her head and opening her eyes, she surveyed the damage around her. Some of the party were faring badly... some were  
worse. The blood and gore surrounding her was remanicent of a war, which was exactly what was occuring. A war of good  
and evil... and sometimes it's a thin line. Summoning all of her strength, she found the new power of what she was supposed  
to do.   
  
*****  
  
Xander opened his eyes cautiously, moving his head a little. Yes, that was going to hurt later... Hell, it hurts now... okay, not a  
problem, don't think... He noticed Diabolique bent over Cordelia, blood everywhere. "No..." he managed to croak out. He  
had to stop the Angel of Death from taking Cordy! He watched, helplessly, as the angel gently traced a symbol on the other  
girl's forehead with her index finger. The symbol lit up, and in the light that spread, the wounds and cuts healed. Pulling himself to  
his feet, he stumbled over to his girlfriend and their savior. "Thanks..."  
  
She nodded, mutely, and proceeded to trace the same symbol on each of the other's foreheads, excluding Angel. They rested  
peacefully, unknowing of the changes taking place. Kneeling, she made the dreaded last round: Angel. Bending over him, she  
touched his burning skin. With a glance to the windows, dirty as they might be, she noted the time. Almost sunrise, and no cover  
in sight. Bowing her head, she silently did one thing that she rarely did: she prayed. *Please, God, give me the strength to help  
him.* Reaching down, she covered his face lightly with her hand. "Dona Nobis Pachem." Pulling her hands back, she stood up.  
"Rise," she commanded in a bitter voice. "Rise and follow." Angel, in a trance, slowly rose to his feet, the burn marks from the  
water still evident. Taking his hand, she quietly ushered him into the day.  
  
Xander, as much as he disliked the vampire, felt he should say something.  
  
"Uh, you do know that he's a vampire, right? And vampires die when they touch sunlight?"  
  
Her head turned back to look at him, and her eyes blinked back sudden tears. "I know." She faced forward again,leading the  
un-suspecting Angel into the dawning light.  
  
Xander bowed his head, holding tightly the hands of the sleeping Willow and Cordelia. "He doesn't deserve it," he called after,  
knowing he couldn't stop it.  
  
But they were gone. 


	4. Death Works Alone

Yellow Roses, part 3 Yellow Roses, part 3: Death Works Alone By [Cassima][1]

Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em. Joss does. Just checking 'em out.

Author's note: For those who don't know, "consumption" is another word for tuberculosis, a nasty, deadly disease involving blood in the lungs. It killed millions of people.

Warning: Random silly lines scattered throughout the part. Be forewarned.

_Energizer Bunny arrested; charged with battery._

Diabolique stumbled, putting her hands out to stop her from falling. _Must... must work quickly..._ She fumbled around for the drawers of the cabinets, searching quickly for the much-needed silverware. 

Angel was laying on his bed, groaning slightly. He had been doused with holy water, and was tossing and turning from the pain in his shoulders and chest. _Hold your horses. You're not going to die. Just be patient... and stay unconscious,_ Diabolique told him silently. She yanked open another drawer, mentally cursing the vampire for hiding his silver so well... and he had better have some. She wasn't in the mood to break into someone else's house just to pacify a vampire. She swayed dizzily again, once more steadying herself on the counter. _It could be worse..._ She opened the final drawer, finally coming across the... five?... eating utensils. She sighed, grabbing them all in her hand counting them once again, just to make sure. _Yep, that would be five. Okie dokey, I guess he could have none at all, which would bite even more... I guess it'll be enough._ She opened her hand, and the silverware make a slight tinkling noise. Diabolique shook her head to stop the incessent spinning and concentrated. Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowed, and the slight smile that had momentarily lit up her face was replaced by her usual intense straight "poker face", as Angel termed it.

Angel. Him. Traitor. Traitor in love. In love with Buffy. Her Buffy. _I must remind myself of that often. He's a fool in love._ The smile almost touched her face again, but she once again, almost reluctantly, focused on the task at hand.

A small, glowing symbol just above the center of her eyebrows faded into view. It pulsed, brighter and brighter, until a beam shot out of it, melting the forks and spoons in her hands. With shaking fingers, she re-shaped the blob, melding it into a circle with a intricate design on it. It cooled quickly, and she muttered some words in old Latin over it. They sounded, to the uncomfortable Angel, something like, "Watermelon watermelon watermelon...", but he was dreaming, so what did he know?

Remembering at the last minute to put a hole in the top, she did so, and strung a ribbon through it. Tying the ends of the ribbon together, Diabolique felt her strength leave her, and staggered as quickly as she could over to Angel. Her fingers shaking, she half-heartedly tugged Angel's shirt off him and slipped the originally - not - too - terribly - clean - silverware - now - a - not - so - well - shaped - amulet over his head. With a sigh, she plopped down on the floor, curling her legs around her.

What a day.

Raising her hand to her forehead, she groaned and recoiled from herself, surprised and dismayed at the height of her temperature. _Great. First I'm demoted to a lowly position, now I'm gonna fail my first mission _in_ this lowly position. Some great, big, scary, Angel of Death._ She tried to stand up, but her muscles all felt like under-cooked jello. _Not firm and cool like good jello... gosh, now that I think about it, I would really like some white grape jello right now... the new kind, not that old, crappy kind..._

She sighed again, and when it came out as a choked cough, she began to worry about herself. Taking a deep, strained breath, she put all her strength into crawling towards the closet where Angel kept his blankets. Sure, Angel wouldn't mind being cold, him being kinda dead and all, but she was getting the chills in a cold kinda manner. She pulled down the only one she could reach without putting all that energy into standing up. Stumbling more and more even while crawling, she managed to drag herself to the foot of Angel's bed. Like a snake, she slithered up the bed and positioned herself against the wall on her stomach, covered with her much sought-after blanket. Laying her heavy head down on the pillow arranged there so conviently for this purpose, she reached a leaden arm out and rested her fingers on the silver around Angel's neck.

Her cross glinted slightly, her choker's gem dulled a bit it in color, and the unhappy angel drifted into a dreamless sleep.

"You let her do WHAT?!?" Cordelia shrieked for what seemed the quadrillionth time.

"I didn't think she was gonna _kill_ him--"

"No, you just didn't think!" Cordelia crossed her arms and glared at Xander. "Even if he _is_ a vampire, he was a nice one. He told me my dress was pretty."

"Oh, sure, now _there's_ a--"

"Xander," Giles interrupted, looking angrier than Xander had ever seen him, "I told you not to trust her, but once again you let your hormones get in the way of your good judgement. I am extremely disappointed in you."

Willow looked up from her seat in the library. "Gosh, I can't believe he's really gone... I dunno, I guess I kinda thought that, you know, we'd, uh, kinda _feel_ something if he were gone. But all I feel is empty." 

Giles patted her arm uncomfortably. "I know it's difficult." He pursed the bookshelves even more fervently.

"So, uh, there is no emptiness, and Angel, having gone into the sunlight, is dead, and--where is that blasted book?" Giles' train of thought backed up even more quickly, plowing through station after station. "I must find that book!"

Willow looked at her caffine-starved fellow researcher. "Uh, Giles, calm down."

Giles arm suddenly snaked out and snatched a book off the shelf. "Here it is!" he cried, with a little more enthusiasm than was warrented. He hurried to the table all ready stacked with books and set it down, rifling through it.

Ms. Calendar picked that minute to walk in. "So, what's going on? Have you found Buffy yet?"

Willow looked at her computer teacher sadly. "No... and now Angel's dead."

"He's dead?"

Willow nodded, and the full sense of the word 'dead' seemed to hit her as she bowed her head. A tear slipped slowly down her cheek.

"The Angel of Death killed him," Xander put in quietly. "She brought him out into the sunlight."

Jenny frowned, suddenly feeling more serious. Flicking on the computer, she asked, "Which one?"

Cordelia cocked her head, confused. "Which sunlight? The only sunlight. Duh." She had a rare moment and thought. "Or did you mean Angel? It doesn't matter, though. There's only one of him, too."

Jenny rolled her eyes, staring impatiently at the screen. Giles' computer took _so_ long to boot up, it was frustrating. "No, which Angel of Death?"

"I thought," Willow said, suprised, "that there was only one."

Jenny fought the urge to laugh. "With all the death in the world today? Ha! No, the poor AoD would hardly be able to lead all the souls to their final resting place."

"Final resting place? You mean, RIP just isn't enough anymore?" Xander was starting to get interested.

So was Cordelia. "What do--What?"

Jenny silently cheered. The computer was done booting. She double-clicked the 'Netscape' icon and turned to the screen, still talking to the teens. "I can't believe Rupert didn't explain this to you." She typed in the password and waited for the link to form. "There are five Angels of Death. Four of them switch farely often. Most angel's minds aren't strong enough and don't have enough of a balance of good and bad to stand it for long. There's one AoD, though who's been at her job for a while... I can't recall her name at the moment. She was a mistake though... she died at about the age of 18 or so... and her mother, quite the saint, was meant to become an angel, not her... or so the rumor is. After a period of bad jobs and assignments, she was assigned to Death," she clicked on 'net search', "and has pretty much been by herself ever since."

"What did you mean by, uh, 'leading the souls'?"

Jenny's fingers flew over the keyboard, searching for the right site. "An AoD's job is to lead souls to... well... essentially, heaven or hell."

"Heaven or hell?"

"Yeah. Often, though, souls aren't ready for their sudden death or don't want to go where they're supposed to. So the angel must be prepared to fight. It's quite an emotional challange to have to fight if you're an angel."

"But," a skeptical Xander protested, "there must be a lot of angels who know how to fight."

"No, not really. There are plenty of good souls that go to heaven that know how to fight, but they don't become angels. Becoming an angel requires one to reach many rather unreachable standards." She chose a site that looked promising and waited, rather unpatiently for it to load. "That fifth AoD didn't really make it. What did you say the angel's name was?"

"Something really cheesy," Cordelia supplied. "Something... Swedish--"

"Spanish," Giles corrected.

Cordelia shrugged. "Whatever."

Jenny began to examine the sight. "Ooo, pictures." She clicked on the bios link.

Willow wiped her nose on her sleeve. "It was something like, 'Dialique'."

Xander sniffed. "Oh, yeah. She was the 'angel of soap'. Great one, Will."

Willow studied her feet. "I'm tired."

An exceedingly British voice came wafting over to them from the table it's owner had been working at. "Oh, dear." 

Xander looked back at Giles. "That didn't sound like a good, 'Oh, dear'."

Giles looked thuroghly confused, so he did the wisest thing possible: he ignored the boy. "Uh, yes. I just read a disturbing thing. It seems that, uh, Diabolique will take the Slayer away... at least, that's what I get out of the initial translation." His eyes were dark with anger and worry as he looked up. "She intends to kill Buffy!"

Xander looked around nervously. "Now, don't you think that's just jumping to conclusions? Maybe she'll... bring Buffy back..." A tiny voice danced around in his head, singing a little song. _She's played you for a fool. She's using you to help her kill Buffy. She's laughing right now... laughing at you! Ha, ha, ha!_ The voice sounded suspiciously like Diabolique's.

Jenny spoke up from the computer. "Diabolique, you say? Hmm..." She searched the bios for that name. It was on the bottom of the stack. "She's the one who's been the AoD for so long... she has the dates of being one for... roughly, 5,000 years... give or take a couple thousand. Qualities listed are... ruthless, a loner... enjoys her job too much... hmm." She looked back at the group. "Sorry guys... this doesn't sound good."

Giles sighed, taking off his glasses and setting them down. "Oh, Buffy..."

Diabolique groaned, the bad dream of her past clawing at her mind with talons of steel: cold, hard, and dull. She gasped with pain, and her fingers curled around the silver tightly, then relaxed slowly.

Willow went through the day in a daze. She got Giles to write passes for her to get out of most of her classes and went to the library instead. She poured over every book Giles gave her without saying a word, writing down every fact and shred of information about Diabolique that she could find. Of course, she was hampered by her mono- language capabilities and could only check the English books, but she did what she could. Her thoughts were consumed with Buffy and the girl she had never seen.

Diabolique. What a name. Death. The girl's real name had been Amissa, she learned. Amissa. It was so... so... _human_ sounding. So... real... it meant, she read, 'large-nose' in Gaelic... a variation on the name 'Aise'. She lived in a lower class version of a 'perfect family', with a saintly mother and a loving, honest father. A little brother. She had had a little brother. Dogs. Chickens. This murderous spirit was a person... had a past... lived a life... had died a horrible, horrible death by the hands of vampires, yet she didn't mind the fact that her best friend, Angel, was a vampire with a soul. She had known him as a person and went into hiding when he became a vampire. When he gained his soul, she greeted the world again... a real person, with a real friend. Only one... Willow could understand what it was to go through life with only one friend. Before Buffy had come, Xander had been her only ally... And this girl had been without friends for over 1,200 years... no wonder she was such a monster, wanting to--no, she was just doing her job, taking Buffy away... but Angel? The angel of death wasn't supposed to kill... only lead. So, what was this girl's problem, dammit? _What the hell does--okay, calm down Willow. Getting all... hysterical and... bitter won't help find Buffy._ The redhead checked her watch.

"Oh, no!" she screamed. "Giles, I've gotta go to English! I've gotta really big test... which Buffy's missing..."

Giles head shifted slightly to the side and Willow took a closer look at him. His head was resting on his book, his eyes were closed, and his glasses were slid up his face onto his forehead. He looked so cute that Willow just didn't want to disturb him. Gathering her books, she tip-toed out, planning on letting the poor, overworked Librarian sleep a few hours before he worked himself to death. _Of course, with all the caffinated tea he's been drinking, it's a miracle that he's not up doing the tango with his chair..._

Giles was sure that this was a dream. It had to be; real life was simply not this awful. "Please, Buffy," he begged. "Tell me this is a dream."

"Actually," the pleased slayer quipped, "it's more of a nightmare." She led him through the mall, making sure she pointed out all the "cool" fashions to him so that he could get some clothing that was actually made in the last couple decades. "You're saying that you don't even own a pair a sweatpants?"

Giles looked at her nervously. "Buffy, is this really necessary?"

"Giles, buddy, bad news. This _is_ a nightmare." She turned to face him, looking him right in the eye and sighing. "Xander's seen a lot of crazy happenings lately. More than usual. Enough to warrent attention, even from the vampires."

"What are you saying?"

The teen sighed again, pulling Giles to a bench in the middle of the mall. "Look, I don't want you to pull a freaker on me, but I'm not really here."

"What?!?"

"You _are_ dreaming. Your subconscious made me up. I mean," she added hurridly, "just now. The real me, I mean, Buffy, is in mortal danger. You know, the fatal kind."

Giles sat down on an uncomfortable stone bench, trying to take it all in. "Good Lord, my subconscious has a repetition problem."

She glared at him. "Just remember, it's not the fall that kills you, it's that sudden stop at the end."

Giles looked at 'his Slayer' sarcastically. "Oh, yes, ha-ha, very funny."

"It's not the fall that kills you, it's that sudden stop at the end." The mall turned white and started spinning around them. "You've gotta remember. It's, y'know, important."

"But what does it mean?" cried the slightly panicked Giles, sensing that this was incredibly important.

"You're the Watcher, decrypter of all prophecies. You figure it out." She disappeared along with the rest of his surroundings, spinning into a white nothing.

His last thought was, "Damn. Now I have a cryptic subconscious with a repetition problem."

"Giles! Giles! Wake up!" Xander shook the Librarian from his restless sleep. "Rise 'n shine!"

"What does it mean?" the Brit groaned, lifting his head. "Falling..."

Xander sighed, sitting back. "All right, let's forget the shining part.

"Buffy... a fall..."

Xander patted the incoherent man on the head. "Relax. Everyone has those dreams sometimes."

Giles shook his head, sitting up. "No, no. It was Buffy in my dream. She, uh, she said, 'It's not the fall that kills you, it's that, uh, sudden stop at the end.'"

Xander pursed his lips. "It sounds to me like your dream Buffy's got it in for you. My advice: watch out for really big steps and develop a sudden fear of heights."

The bell rang, signifying the end of school. Giles sat up, eyeing Xander. "Why aren't you in class?"

"School's over!" Xander told him innocently.

Giles rolled his eyes, going with it. "Where's that book...? I have a new lead to check."

_Ah, the feel of satin against the skin. So smooth, so comforting... I'm home._ Angel woke from his enchanted sleep to find his surroundings as usual. For the most part. "Buffy!" he cried, remembering the past events and sitting up quickly. "I have to... help her!"

He sprang up, flinging a hand that had been resting on his chest over to the side. Feeling the unusual clink of cold silver against his chest, he looked down to identify the necklace.

Picking it up, he twisted it around to get a better look at it. _It's an amulet,_ he realized. _An amulet of... chill? But why...?_ He turned it over to see who made it and was confronted with an unfamiliar symbol burned into the back. It called up a strange sense of deja vu, though he could have sworn that he had never seen it before in his life. His whole life. _Odd..._

He ran his fingers over the strangely shaped star and felt oddly pacified. Shrugging, he dropped the medal back to his chest, searching for his shirt. Checking the clock, he snarled. It was all ready 20 minutes until sundown... and who knows how many days had gone by while he slept? The phone rang, and he gave up the fox-hunt for his shirt to answer it.

"Hello."

"Angel?!?"

"Yeah?"

"_Angel?!?_ You're alive!" There was a pause. "Well, relatively speaking."

Angel didn't really know how to respond to that. "Yeah?"

"Hey, everybody, Angel's not a pile of vampy dust!" There was some serious commotion on the other end of the line.

"Angel?" A breathless Giles answered the phone.

"What's going on?" a slightly-annoyed Angel asked.

"It's really quite amazing... we still haven't found Buffy, though... we thought you had... disintegrated."

"When? What day is it?"

"Friday--"

"You mean I've been asleep for a week?"

"No," interrupted Giles, "only a day. How did you survive the sunlight on your way home?"

"I don't--" Angel broke off, the reason suddenly coming to him.

They both answered Giles' question at the same time. "Diabolique."

Strong hands were pushing, roughly forcing her wake up. All her muscles ached, and she felt a convulsion in her chest rip its way out in the form of hacking cough. "Whatever you're selling, I don't want any." She coughed again, plainly hearing the fluids and sticky, bad membrane stuff bounce around in her lungs as air pushed its way in and out. _How can someone who doesn't breathe be coughing so much? Ouch... thinking makes head hurt._

"Wake up and tell me where Buffy is." The rough voice was hard to her ears, but it reminded her of what that buzzing insistance in the back of her mind was.

"Buffy!" she cried, sitting up. "Woah..." Her vision spun, and she reached up to calm her aching head. "Deja vu..." Slowly, she cracked open her puffy eyes. "Good... evening, Angel. You're looking mighty... chipper..." She leaned back against the wall and shivered, coughing some more.

Angel had to resist cracking her head open against the wall. _It won't help; it'll just make a mess._ "Where's Buffy?"

"I dunno... let's go look." She slurred, and tried, unsuccessfully, to raise herself from her spot on the bed. _And a big, fat zero for mobility._ She coughed again, rasping and making big, hollow sounds.

"Where's Buffy?"

"I dunno."

"Where's Buffy?"

_Certainly persistant, if slightly obnoxious._ "Who?"

Angel couldn't take it anymore. With sheer desperation, he slammed the girl against the wall. "Buffy. The Slayer. Where is she?"

"Angel. Your brain. Where is it?" She spoke as if to a child. "I do not know. Oww," she blinked her eyes, biting her tounge at the pain in her shoulder, "that's gonna hurt later, isn't it?" she groaned.

He eyed her as she shook with a coughing fit. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

She pried her eyes open, dazed, and offered him a weak smile. "Consumption?" she hazarded easily.

He let her go in disgust, pacing back and forth. "Why won't you tell me what the hell is going on?"

She coughed again, wiping her nose on her arm. "Maybe because I don't know what the hell is going on."

"Oh, yeah, I'm really going to believe that--" He was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Angel, are you in there?" It was Xander. "Open up, it's me."

Angel was so mad he practically tore the door off it's hinges. "Hello, Xander."

Xander slowly backed up, putting his hands up. "Not happy to s-see me? Okay, I can take a hint. I'll go."

Diabolique coughed hard, trying to stop him. "No, it's okay, Xander," she finally rasped out. "He's just mad at me."

Xander allowed himself to be conjoled in. "Giles is, too."

She smiled and pulled the blanket around her. "I always say my day's not complete if I haven't ticked off at least five people." Her hand went to the choker at her throat, worrying the blood red gem with her thumb. _Hold on, Buffy. I'll find you. I'll ease your pain. Hold onto yourself, and never let go._

Xander looked at his watch. "We'll go out in about 10 minutes, okay? That's sundown."

Diabolique coughed again, trying to rid her lungs of the mucus until her throat hurt. "Angel--eat something before we go, okay? Or you're likely to pass out. The spell I used was sort of draining."

Angel glared at her, just to let her know that he was still angry at her. "Yes, _Mom_." He practically stomped off to the fridge, calling back a message to the Angel of Death. "Be out of my bed and ready to leave by the time I return."

Diabolique's arms and legs all felt the same: achy. That was the only way to describe it. Well... she could always call it 'sore'... or 'owwwwww!'...

She forced herself to sit up on her own and crawled to the edge of the bed. 

Morning person--ha! The other angels would all have a field day with this...

She thought about the bit of prophecy that she had read last night at the library. 

_"The one who Slayeth and  
The one who Killeth  
Will surely meet, and  
One will trace their symbol on the other  
And Time will stop."_

... The 'one who Slayeth', that would be the Slayer, Buffy. The one who Killeth... that would be her, Diabolique. Death. _Death is the leading nation-wide killer of all people._ She had to smile at that as she attempted to stand up. "Ow, _ow_!"

Xander reached over to help her. "Here, let me give you a hand..." He gently offered her the support of his arm.

"Thanks." She smiled at him gratefully, leaning heavily on his arm. "We've gotta hurry. Buffy's gonna die if we don't get to her soon."

"Just out of curiosity, but why do you care?"

"Hey, just  'cause I've worked with death and learned to enjoy it all those years doesn't mean that I want Buffy' death." Her headache was worsening.

"So, you don't want her to die?"

"That's what I've been telling you guys! I want her to live! No one believes me, though, and frankly, I don't blame them. I'd rather be about a quadrillion other places right now." She raised a fist to cover her cough and stumbled, not having enough energy to walk and cough at the same time.

"I feel so... worthless." She turned such an incredibly putrid shade of green that Xander sat her down on Angel's beat up Lazyboy.

He put a hand to her forhead. "You're hot."

She looked away. "No, you're cold. I'm fine." She coughed again, just to illustrate her point. "See?"

Xander put his hand on her arm. It was covered with goosebumps. "I think you should stay in tonight and sleep. We'll get the work done and find Buffy without you just fine."

She shook her head, knowing her message wasn't getting through. "Sure, but will you be able to rescue her? Not a chance. You should stay in, though. In your house. And you shouldn't invite anyone in tonight. You've witnessed me work my magic and resurrect some people. The vamps... they want that, y'know. They need you for a sacrifice, to open the Hellmouth."

Xander stared. "Can they do that?"

She nodded, giving in to her exhaustion and leaning back. "They stole a staff and one of those funny plant things the Eiethan Troop gaurds. Which is bad, if you were wondering."

"You can barely keep your eyes open, breathe, and walk straight you're so sick, but you want able-bodied me to stay home? Not a chance!"

"Can you do this?" she asked, lifting a weary hand and straining with effort to make it glow.

"No, I think you hold brag rights on that." He stood on one foot. "Can you do _this_?"

"Touché." She groaned, opening her eyes again. "I thought you'd say as much... and right now, I don't have the strength to argue with you."

He flashed her a charming grin, while still having the strange feeling he hadn't really won. "Good. Now, let's get ready to go before Angel bites your head off for not being ready."

Xander eyed Diabolique as Angel helped her put on one of his leather jackets. Reaching into his pocket, the teen felt the small charm he had stolen from Giles' office. If the angel tried anything, he'd use it against her. He swore it. Of couse, if the vampires tried anything... well, that was a different matter all together.

The trio marched resolutely through the shadows, two of the figures making no noise as they walked, and the third making up for them entirely. Xander wasn't the quietest person, and that ticked the dead girl and guy off. The vamps were gonna hear him from a mile away... _There goes the element of surprise..._

Diabolique's coughs she muted, trying as hard as she could to make them sound like the wind. As they approached the building that Willow had identified as the hideout, they unconsciously huddled closer together, and the girl's coughing almost ceased altogether.

Suddenly, they were set upon by a group of vampires. Angel and Diabolique fought, but Xander had to be dragged away, unconscious, by a group of vamps under strict orders not to damage him. By the time the undead pair of the trio could react, it was too late.

And then there were two.

So they set out again, keeping the slow pace they had taken up before to keep Diabolique from giving them away by hacking up her lungs under the bright moon. Diabolique felt her throat tighten, and bent to one knee under the force of her burning throat. Angel, pausing to turn and check on her, felt the ground crumble slightly under his feet...

"Wha--" Thump. A sliding sound as he was sucked into the hideout.

And then there was one.

Falling down onto both her knees, Diabolique murmured something--a prayer?--and slid to the ground. The night was still around her; not even the insects and birds made noise. The moon was half gone, but the white light hit the air angrily, giving the landscape a bleak, stark look.

And, suddenly, there was an Angel in the moonlight. He was beautiful, dark and mystical. Lightly, his bare feet rested on the cold ground, and he reached down to the fallen woman with one luminescent hand. "Diabolique."

Faintly, she stirred at his touch, but once again fell lax.

He frowned, but on him it shone. With graceful, gentle hands, he rolled the limp body over onto her back. Her wan lips were red with blood, and she lay still in the dirt. The Angel shook his head, kindly, and cupped her bloody, dirty face with one large, strong hand. "Not yet. It shall not happen yet." He pushed back a strand of brownish hair that had fallen from her painfully tight braid. "Soon, but not yet."

"An-gel, An-gel... An-gel's come to join the par-ty," Drusilla murmured in her thick, crazy cockney to the Slayer before her. "Maybe he'll bring me a present..."

Buffy looked up at the vampire with tired eyes. Blood ran down her face, mingled with tears; the first tears that she had shed since being dragged to this God-forsaken hideout of the vampires were not for herself. _No,_ the poor girl prayed to every God she could think of in every religion and language she knew, _let Angel be safe._

When her boyfriend was unceremoniously dumped next to her, also chained with a medieval-looking set of chains, she used all her strength to reach out to him. Their hands streached for each other. If they could but touch, it seemed, everything would be okay... but the unmerciful vampires had placed them just out of reach of each other.

Suddenly, Angel recoiled from her, clutching at his back in agony. Drusilla, grinning, poured a little more holy water down his back, giggling at his hoarse screams. Buffy tried to move her wrists again, her mind working furiously to figure out how to save Angel, but Dru alternated the torture, bringing the whip firmly down on the Slayer's side. The big log in the center of the room was a center of activity, and a body was carefully secured to the post. "Xander..." Buffy moaned in realization as there was a hiss from the side and Angel screamed again.

Logs smelling of kerosene were brought forth and placed artisticlly around Xander. The young man, waking to the smell of fire, screamed.

Screams filled the air as the fire burned closer to Xander, holy water gushed onto Angel, and Buffy felt the sting of the whip for what felt like the millionth time in the past few days.

A breath of wind rushed through the room, and the flames around Xander went out. The whip slapping Buffy was torn from it's owner's grasp and thrown across the room. The bottle of holy water broke and spilled all over the vampire who had been pouring.

A hush fell over the crowd of vampires, about 20 in all. They looked to Dru and Spike for help on what to do.

Spike shrugged. "I guess this is destiny's way of telling us to kill Buffy first. A pity; I wanted her to see her friends die slowly before her, but maybe with the next Slayer." He raised his hand, motioning for a vampire to come forward with a knife.

The vampire smiled and walked forward, only to fall into a heap of dust. Buffy and Angel shared a confused glance.

"No one messes with my Slayer."

Spike looked around. "Who said that?"

A lone figure jumped down from the high ledge and landed lightly. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." The girl's voice was cold and hard.

Drucilla's mouth corners tugged up into a smile, and she walked over to her boyfriend. "This is the one, Spike. I can feel her power."

Spike eyed her. "I dunno, love, she looks awfully scrawny."

Diabolique decided that she was wasting precious time, picked up a stake, and rammed it into a vampire's heart. Pulling it out of the ashes on the floor, she jammed it into another undead heart, fighting her way over to Buffy and Angel.

Drusilla watched the girl fight and hung onto Spike, drawing him back. "She's a Slayer, love. She's a very old Slayer... Oh, my roses..." she moaned as a table holding a pot of Black Peruvian roses was tipped over. The pot fell to the ground and cracked, commanding her attention.

"Burn!" Diab yelled, pointing at it, and it burst into flames.

Xander watched the plant burn nervously, hoping the kerosene wouldn't catch again.

Out of the corner of her eye, Diabolique saw Drucilla and Spike start to sneak out the door. That made her mad. "No."

Spike looked back nervously. "No?"

"No. I'm not done with you yet." She ran and jumped, flipping over a quite a few piles of ash. Pulling a stake out, she rammed it into Drusilla's chest. Drusilla barely had time to gasp before she melted into a pile of ash.

"My God! You killed Dru! Bit--" She pulled out another stake and threw herself at him, wating for him to open up.

It was over quickly, a small pile of ash at her feet. She rushed over to Buffy, gently probing her stomach for internal bleeding.

"Hey!" Xander yelled from his pole. "What about me?"

Reaching down, Diabolique pulled a small knife out of her shoe and, without looking, threw it backwards. It landed on his bonds next to his wrist, slicing the ropes. With a yelp, he slid to the ground. Touching Buffy's wrists, the chains fell away.

"Cool..." Buffy mumured, slumping over.

"Buffy? Buffy?" Diabolique cried, shaking her a little. "Buffy, no!"

From where she was, she felt Xander pulling the charm out of his pocket. "Puny trinket," she said coldly. "Shatter." The tiny charm quivered and broke into a million tiny pieces. A gust of wind swept through the room again and took many of the pieces with it. It had taken her a while to figure out that that damn charm was what was in his pocket. He had kept putting his hand in his pocket, and... she hadn't known what to think. Shattering the charm was simple, and it restored her Buffy radar. She could find her Slayer again... not that she was going to let the girl out of her sight. Ever. The Slayer's privacy was no longer approved. Buffy's pulse was so weak... Diabolique stretched her wings out, leaning over to pick up Buffy. "Buffy..."

Buffy opened her eyes, looking only at Diabolique.

"Come with me," she whispered.

Buffy put her hand into Diabolique's small one, and understanding passed through them. "Yes... I will join you."

"Buffy--no!" Angel cried, straining to stand, to reach either of them, to just break the eerie spell around them.

Diabolique bent and picked up Buffy's body, cradling it in her arms. Her black wings flexed, and the two girls flew away through the wall.

Xander and Angel were the only two people left to stare, horrified, as they left.

In the library, two lone figures sat, hunched over the books. "Oh, dear."

"What is it?"

"I seem to have interpreted this all wrong."

"What?"

"The prophecy. Diabolique--she was once an Angel of Death. Not any more."

"Oh. That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes, yes indeed. Very good, in fact."

A pause. "What is she?

"Buffy's Guardian."

"Yes," a new voice entered the conversation. They looked up to see a dark man standing by the window, almost incandescent in the moonlight. "The Guardians were upset after she died and came back again. Too much paperwork. He decided that He needed to prevent this sorta thing from ever happening again." He smiled. "Do not fear her abrasive ways. She is harmless to your kind." In a moment, he was gone.

Another pause. "God's really a 'He'?" 

Buffy was laid lightly on her bed. The winged one gently traced a symbol, a rune of some sort, on the sick one's forehead, and sat back. The two looked at each other sleepily, and the Slayer closed her eyes. The one with wings shrunk until she became a dog. She jumped up and landed next to Buffy. Curling up on the girl's side, she slept lightly, humming a pretty tune.

Buffy woke the next morning to a warm tounge bath. "Eww..."

The dog sat down and thumped its tail on the bedspread. "Woof!"

Buffy groaned. "How did you get in here? Did I leave the door open? Mom's gonna kill me!"

The dog yawned, still looking at her. "I used a window, actually," it answered, "but you probably don't remember that part. You were pretty out of it."

Buffy blinked. "You talked."

"I _am_ a talking dog. It helps."

"A talking dog."

"Or your Gaurdian. Pick a card, any card."

"You mean, last night wasn't some wierd dream? There really are kids with wings out there fighting for me? I was really looking forward to telling Giles about this one. He'd have a field day."

"No, only one... and you still can tell Giles about it... I'm looking forward to the reaction."

Buffy rolled her eyes and lay back down, pulling the covers with her. "I think I'm going crazy. I'm talking to a dog."

Diabolique followed her example. "And I'm talking to the Slayer. I can't believe I agreed to this job."

"I dunno... I think it's gonna be kinda fun..."

"Bite me."

Angel just stared at the door. Sit and stare. Sit and stare. He couldn't believe that no one had come to free him. He was still locked in this damn chains. Not that it mattered. He couldn't go home in the sun, anyway. So, he simply sat and stared at the wal. Sit and stare. Sit and stare. Ah, his shoulders hurt... quite a lot, in fact. Buffy was probably dead, and he wasn't getting any blood soon, so he was going to be dead soon... he wished he had taken the time to drink some blood when they were home when Diabolique told him too... it was starting to sound like a better and better suggestion as the day went on--but no.

Thinking about food only made him hungrier. _I hope Buffy's okay... She better be okay, or I'm taking it out of my angel-friend's hide._ He rattled the chains once more for good measure, and sat there, staring at the wall. Sit and stare. Sit and stare. Sit and stare.

Buffy had a _real_ sleep... filled with dreams that confused her. _Sacred duty, yadda, yadda, yadda..._ She was in a dark place, filled with ash. Angel was there, and he was chained up, weak... hungry. Her eyes jumped open, and she sat up quickly, knocking a sleeping dog off her lap. "Angel!"

The dog tried to look nonchalant and gave up, knowing that was more cat-style. "What?"

"No, not you," Buffy jumped out of bed, pulling a sweatshirt over her head and sweatpants over her shorts. "Angel-Angel!"

"What about him?"

"Where is he?"

"Oh. I, uh, guess I, uh, left him... mmdawerhas." she muttered something.

"What?"

"You're my first priority, not him! And, I could have taken him, but weighs, like, 200 pounds."

"No, 'what' as in I couldn't understand what you were saying--but, now, What?!?"

"...I left him at the warehouse." She gave a doggie look of embarassment.

"That is unacceptable!" Buffy cried, only a teensy bit amused. "Bad dog! Bad!"

"Your mother hasn't seen you for a few days, so maybe you should say 'hi' and introduce your pet first... Angel's not going anywhere."

Calmind down, Buffy nodded. "Good idea." Buffy finished putting on her raggety old tennis shoes and skipped down the stairs to greet her mother. "Hi mom!"

"Buffy, good morning... you have a dog."

"Oh, yeah. He--she followed me home. Can I keep her?"

"I don't know... we haven't had very much luck with pets..." Diabolique turned on the charm full throttle, laying her head in the mother's lap and staring at her with big, brown, sad puppy eyes. "Well... maybe... I guess so... if you can't find the owners. And you have to try." The grey dog gave her hand a giant swipe with her tongue in thanks. "Stop licking me! ...And you're the one going to be responsible for it, Buffy!" 

"Okay... Mom, I've gotta run... I forgot to take care of something..." She gave her mother a quick hug, nearly knocking her over. "Come on, uh... I've gotta think of a name... Fido?"

The dog whimpered, following. When they were safely out of the house, the dog looked at Buffy reproachfully. "I'm not going by 'Fido'. Or 'Rover.'"

Buffy started a light jog. "So, whachur name? 'Diabolique' is pretty strange for a dog. It's just gonna feed my mom's shrink more info about me."

Diabolique thought and ran quickly at the same time. "Hmm... well, 'Diabolique' was my name when I was the Angel of Death--"

"When you were the WHAT?!?" Buffy stopped running to stare at the little grey dog.

"You didn't--Oh, that's right. You were chained to the wall at the time. I, uh, used to be the Angel of Death. I was reassigned!" she insisted, starting to walk again. "I was reassigned. I just, I was really good at that job... and I didn't want to be moved... you know, you're not really, uh, popular in heaven." 

"I'm not?"

"Yeah, uh, no one wanted this job. That's why I'm here; I was the only one left... and they practically had to force me to take it. Then, I really messed up: I lost you. I was sure someone was gonna come down and tell me that everyone was really disgusted with me, 'cause I mangaged to lose my subject on my first run. Not terribly impressive, I'm afraid."

"But, you found me, so everything's okay, right?" Buffy, for some reason, was anxious for her Gaurdian not to be replaced.

"I hope so. I don't need anyone else mad at me."

"We're getting off the subject." They rounded the corner to Angel's apartment. "Which I remember as simply being, 'what do you want to be called?'"

"Well, choosing a name is really difficult. You wanna make sure you like it, because you're gonna be stuck with it for the rest of your life, but you just don't know what you'll wanna be called for that long." They came to the door and tried the handle. "Locked."

Buffy shrugged. "So I'll owe him another door lock. What's one or two locks in the door of life?" She broke it and the door swung open.

"One or two locks in the door of life is still one or two locks. Oh, well... we'll just tell him that it was all ready open... I guess..." The dog trotted over to the refridgerater and waited for Buffy to open it. "Hmm... get him a couple AB's and an O... maybe just a regular B, too."

"Okay... that's two ABs, one O, and a B. Do you want fries with that?"

The little grey dog turned to go. "If I could carry them, I'd say 'sure'."

They started walking towards the warehouse, Buffy getting more and more quiet as they walked. When they arrived in front of the door, Buffy and her dog exchanged a glance. "If we open the door, he might get caught in the sun."

Angel could here voices outside the door. He knew, though, that if the people came in, he would have a Helluva time explaining why he was chained to a wall and couldn't leave. _Just open the door. Open the door and kill me. Please._ He slumped there, wishing again that Xander had thought to free him before he had left. 

"Maybe we should just open the door."

"Pick me up."

"What?"

"I'm light, I'm travel-sized for your damn convenience, pick me up." 

Buffy reached down and gently lifted the tiny dog into her arms. "Okay, now what?"

"Walk through the wall."

"'Scuze me?"

"Go ahead. I'll phase us." _Hopefully. I'll look really stupid if this doesn't work._

Buffy, shrugging, walked through the wall. It felt odd to phase through something, kind of like walking through paper. Standing on the other side, she took her flashlight out of her purse and flicked it on moving it around. "Angel!"

"Buffy... Buffy?" He looked surprised to see her. "You should be at home... resting."

"She was worried, so we thought we might come visit you." The dog sat down and looked at Angel curiously.

"A talking dog?!? I must be hallucinating. I didn't know vampires could hallucinate."

As he babbled on about "Talking dogs" and "Stupid vampires with souls", Buffy leaned over to talk to her dog. "I don't remember him ever acting like this before."

"The idiot hasn't eaten for a while. Undo his chains--here, let me--and give the poor guy some food." She trotted closer and started licking his face. "Calm down, Angel. Stop squirming." She began to melt his chains.

"Diabolique?"

"Not anymore. Hold still, kid!" Soon, he was all done. Rubbing his wrists, he looked at Buffy, crouched beside him.

"Here," she told him, pulling out the B packet. "Drink this."

He looked at her, unbelievingly, and sunk his fangs into the packet, draining it. "You took your time," he said, greedily grabbing another packet of blood.

"Angel, you've got a little shmutz on your chin."

Angel guiltily rubbed his chin with the back of his hand, reaching for the B packet.

"Not so fast. Finish your AB first." She turned back to Buffy, who was stiffling a giggle. "Feel free to laugh at him. I do all the time."

Buffy shrugged as Angel bit his blood packet hard to get every last drop out. "Thanks, I think." 

"Shmutz."

"Yeah, yeah."

[Continue!][2]

[Back to Before!][3]

[Give Cassima a Present!][1]

   [1]: mailto:black_cassima@hotmail.com
   [2]: YR4.htm
   [3]: index.htm



	5. 'Diabolique' is Hard to Spell

Disclaimer: The fact of the matter is that I like to write these darn things. They're so satisfying... though, after a while, I get  
bored with saying the same ol' darn things... so I experiment. Anyway, I'm off track. The train has de-railed. You might  
recognize this, or you might not give a darn tootin'. Well, I've taken my sugar, and I'm ready to write. If you wonder why this is  
so long (the disclaimer), it's 'cause I'm on painkillers. Hee, hee... they make me hyper... a bit... Well, on to the disclaimers.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Joss is owned by Buffy... I mean, Buffy is owned by Joss. Geez, what am I on? Okay, the same goes for  
Xander, Willow, Giles, Calendar, etc. The X-Files and all related hoopla is owned by Chris Carter, damn him and his wiley  
ways. I own Diabolique and my socks. Of course, I own the story, too... so, don't copy it, okay? Thanx a doodle dandy. Hey,  
if you want to use any characters here, I can't stop you. I'd be kinda cool, though, if you told me where you were putting it so  
that I could see how you mutilated my creations. Or you don't have to. But, I'd appreciate it. Okay, I'm done babbling. For  
now.  
  
Ha-ha, I lied. I'm not. Okay, this part is short and sweet in honor of the two long ones before it. I'm sorry if this is taking a  
while, but I'm busy coding the html. :) Oh, well. Okay, NOW I'm done.  
  
*****  
  
"A what?"  
  
"You, uh, already asked that, Buffy."  
  
"Not another one!"  
  
"Giles, I think you're making 'em up. Yep, after 50 years sleeping next to those books, you've finally cracked."  
  
"Now, hush, you two. I don't see the dog complaining."  
  
The dog yawned and rolled over, enjoying the warmth of the blanket lying on the floor.  
  
Xander glared at her. "Lucky dog."  
  
Giles turned back to Buffy. "You need to pay attention to the prophecies. They're very important."  
  
The dog sat up, looking at the group. "He's right, you know. You do need to listen to prophecies. They're tricky, though.  
Sometimes, hearing of them is what makes them come true. They tend to omit certain techical details..."  
  
She grew into a girl, streaching her arms, and walked over to the book. "For example, the death one, when you died. Boy, was  
the Dude in charge pissed. You would've thought that we had planned it that way or something. Of course, he is just in a pissy  
mood lately, ever since--but, I digress. Anywho, back to prophecies that, when you read them, come true. I can give you about  
a gazillion more that will not cease to bore you to tears, so I won't. But then, they can also save your butt and the butt of the  
planet." She picked a random book out of the pile and flipped through it. "So, though the writers are all really cryptic, the stupid  
things tend to come true more often than not. Actually," she looked up, "I've never heard of them not coming true. In the  
deepest technical or poetic sense, they always come true. I can tell you all the tricks and trades of prophecies, but... I sense I've  
already been tuned out. Okay, back to station K-GILES." She began to read through the book, translating the ancient Italian as  
she went along.  
  
Giles brought Buffy into the next room, determined to teach her how to use a "Moon Stake", as he called it. Willow began to  
surf the net, looking for the real, down-to-life vampire chat rooms. Xander watched as the unnamed one silently mouthed the  
words to the prophecies she was reading.  
  
"Y'know, there are classes for that," he told her.  
  
"Hmm?" She looked startled.  
  
"They really teach you how to read much better."  
  
"I know how to read, thank you very much! Angels of Death are hardly illiterate hicks."  
  
"Well, obviously not very well. I mean, you're mouthing the words as you go along!" Xander gave her a "ha, ha, gotcha now!"  
look.  
  
"Call me when you can read in Ancient Italian without mouthing the words." Her breath tightened as she became focused on a  
particular prophecy.  
  
"Oh. Hey, how come you breathe?"  
  
She looked up, exasperated. "You mean no one has explained this to you yet?"  
  
"Nope. Enlighten me."  
  
"Well, I breathe to take in oxygen. The heart pumps blood to the lungs, where it gets charged up with oxygen. From there, the  
blood goes to all the cells in the body, bringing them--"  
  
"I tuned that all out in Bio when I had the chance. Why do you breathe?"  
  
"You were just tuning me out, weren't you? I just started to explain--"  
  
"You're dead!"  
  
Willow looked at them from the computer. "You guys okay?"  
  
"Just fine!" Xander called.  
  
The girl rolled her eyes as Willow turned back to the computer. "Very good, Xander. And what color is the table?"  
  
Xander glared back at her. "Vampires are dead and they don't breathe."  
  
"I'm not a vampire. Shit, what's this say?"   
  
Xander put a hand on her arm to get her attention back. "So why do you?"  
  
The girl shook his hand off and reread the last prophecy. "Dammit! I knew it! I knew it was too good to be true!" She  
rummaged around in the stack of books surrounding her, looking for the ancient encyclopedia. Finding it, she thumbed her way  
to the 'B's', looking for something.  
  
"Don't just shake me off! I will not be contained. I want to know what you're talking about and why you breathe."  
  
"Xander, go get everyone over here. Tell them I've got some good news and some really, really bad news."  
  
"Not until--"  
  
She turned to him, her face contorting into a demonic snarl. "Now!"  
  
"Now is good."  
  
Xander rushed to retrieve Buffy and Giles from the small office as his friend found what she was searching for and frowned.  
  
Giles hurried over. "What's the matter? Xander told us it was important."  
  
"I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news monsterously outweighs the good."  
  
"What's the good news?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I've picked a name. Lun@. That's my name."  
  
"Ooh," Cordelia cried, "Now we get to stop calling her 'the dog' or 'the girl'... what?"  
  
Giles smiled at Lun@. The smile fading from his face, he asked, "What's the bad news?"  
  
She turned the encyclopedia around so that she could see what she had been researching. "These."  
  
"Black Peruvian Roses?"  
  
Her voice assumed a "lecture" tone. "They were bred in Italy a about 1200 years ago to give the Italian Resistance a force to  
fight off the Iberian Peninsula. No one knew how dangerous they could be."  
  
"This is all very interesting," Buffy interrupted, "but what does it have to do with the price of hairspray in Taiwan?"  
  
"When I was fighting Spike and Dru in the warehouse, I knocked over a pot of the roses. Then I killed the vamps."  
  
"Oh, dear."  
  
"Yep, that's what I said. Well, 'cept without the cute British accent."  
  
Giles blushed and stammered a bit.  
  
Buffy looked at them. "What? What, poisonous thorns?"  
  
"No. They clone stuff."  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"It tends to cause problems. Then cloning tends to happen on a widespread scale. I read a prophecy about Spike and Drusilla...  
it's trouble. They're still alive."  
  
"But you killed--"  
  
"Clones."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Willow looked at the group of solemn faces, confused. "So... clones are bad?"   
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Well, duh."  
  
Giles took his glasses off and began to polish the spotless lenses. "Now, be nice. The clones are, uh, easy to get rid of, but,  
uh--"  
  
"They're a pain in the butt," Lun@ finished.  
  
"Well, uh... yes." Giles looked suprised at her slang expressions.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm still trying to understand this. There's a bunch of cloned vampires running around kidnapping me? Is that  
fair?" Buffy wondered.  
  
Willow seemed to be mentally ticking the facts off in her head and obviously came up a few short. "But... but... that's  
scientifically impossible! We can only clone cells and embryos and... things."  
  
"Well, uh," stammered Giles, "it's not scientific, but, uh, magic."  
  
"Ah. That would explain it. 'Cause, y'know, I was getting kinda worried. Cloning's a bad thing, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes Willow," said Xander. "'Cause, y'know, it makes lotsa vampires. And vampires are those things with the pointy teeth that  
suck blood--"  
  
"Uh, Xander?" Willow hesitated.  
  
"And they like to kill people," he plunged on. "Not to be dissing our friend Angel--"  
  
"Xander?"  
  
"But, y'know, he is a blood sucking fiend, and once, just... he's right behind me, isn't he?"  
  
"Um," Cordelia finished for Willow, "Like, yeah!"  
  
A cool look passed between Angel and Lun@. "Angel," Lun@ greeted.  
  
In a matched tone of voice, the vampire responded. "Diabolique."  
  
A grim smile appeared on her face, and everyone held their breath, watching the exchange. "I'm not going by that name  
anymore. It's too hard to spell."  
  
"You don't say."  
  
"Yes, I do. And if you'll excuse me, I need to look up a few more facts before I destroy the world as you know it."  
  
"Hardy har har."  
  
"I mean, I am intent on evil in every way possible, especially if it effects you. Infact, I'm out to get you. I'm out to curse you,  
your home, your girlfriend, and your cow. Destroying all the annoying people in the world is just an exciting fringe benefit. And  
then I'm going tear out Buffy's fingernails and string them for a necklace."  
  
Willow had a sudden image of Dia--er, Lun@ wearing a necklace of made of bloody fingernails. "That's disgusting."  
  
"Can we insert a different name into this senario?" inquired a nervous Buffy. "This whole conversation is just giving me the  
willies."  
  
"Let me sit here and try to think of ways to ruin your miserable little life, because I have nothing better to do with my extraneous  
time," Lun@ continued, ignoring everyone else.  
  
Angel snorted. "You're so mature."  
  
The girl's face twisted up, her good humor from before evaporating before everyone's eyes. "I'm sorry, Giles, but I can't work in  
here anymore; the waves of testosterone are strangling me. I'll have to research the Ginzushou cult later." She closed the book in  
a puff of dust, stood up and stomped away, leaving the dust to settle quietly in the air.  
  
There was a pause. "Well," Xander broke, "that went well." Cordelia was eyeing Angel. She was still obviously very nervous  
about him being a vampire. She wasn't too nervous, though, to put Xander in his place. "Get a life, moron."  
  
*****  
  
"Oh my God!" The woman sat straight up in bed, trembling. "Not again!"  
  
Rising, she walked shakily to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. "My God..." She sat down on the toilet,  
letting the red flannel of her pajamas comfort her.  
  
It was the same dream... she had it every night, so often that she was afraid to sleep. Swallowing, as if grasping at the last thread  
of the lifeline 44,000 km above ground, she blinked back sudden tears. Something big was coming, and only she knew it. Hell,  
she didn't even believe it.  
  
I don't believe in magic, I don't believe in magic... she attempted to convince herself. It was just a dream... dreams mean  
something... it was my subconscious trying to tell me that I need to relax or something...  
  
She shivered, not warm enough in her thin pajamas for the soft flannel to comfort her. Sighing, she filled a glass sitting by the  
sink with water. Sipping it, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve as she plodded back to bed.  
  
Once there, though, she couldn't sleep. It's scientifically impossible, she thought. Just to convince herself, she announced, "It's  
scientifically impossible," outloud to the shadows around her. "If it were true, we'd know. There's no life on Pluto, Mars, Venus,  
Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, and Uranus, much less on the Moon." She knew then that it was no use to try to attempt  
sleep tonight. Not now. Not after she'd started talking to herself.  
  
Sitting up again, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood. Aiming carefully for the desk on the opposite side of the  
room, she walked across and sat herself down in the chair. Picking up a half-finshed report, she set it in front of her, scanning  
the contents to remind herself of what she'd written.  
  
Oh, yeah, the Morrison case. Humph. A total waste of time. Unfortunately, all of her thoughts seemed to drift back to her  
dream of the falling castle and dying people. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, she just couldn't get past the looks of  
horror on the faces of the dying. No! she cried to herself, No, no, no! Squeezing her eyes shut, she breathed deeply to focus  
herself on the work in front of her. Opening her eyes, she stared at the paper in front of her in horrible facination. Her reoccuring  
dream was forgotten as the terror of what lay before her on the paper jumped out, as if it had bitten her neck.  
  
No. Dear God, no. The blood on the page formed a small pool on her report as she softly began to cry. 


	6. Musings of a Research Boy, Coo-coo Catch...

Short and sweet, this time.  
  
As always, comments are appreciated. I'll laugh at flames and send them to all my friends as joke-mail. Okay, here's the  
disclaimer:  
  
The opinions expressed by the characters in this fanfic do not necessarily represent the opinions of the author or the site owner.  
I didn't write the Titanic. Nor did I sink it. I have no stock on the movie, so if you're one of those people who went to see it  
50,000,000,000 times, I really don't care. If you wanna know who wrote that Titanic song, go to Harmony House or  
somewhere, because I don't remember her name (Celine Dion? Something like that?). Otherwise... keep reading and write me if  
anything is confusing; I really don't know if I'm forgetting to explain anything that I already should've.  
  
*****  
  
"Life is a hallucination, brought on by lack of drugs and alcohol." -- Kate  
  
*****  
  
His stomach lurched again, and Xander hastily spread his bag to deposit everything he'd ever eaten into one tiny sack. *I hate,  
despise, and loathe any type of flying,* he thought to himself again, clutching his bag. It was pathetic, really; only a research boy  
for the Slayer could get sick from looking at the airport. Only a reseach boy could be compelled to lose his rather large  
breakfast because his airline barf bag taunted him with the words "This side up". Ah, the misery, the sheer anguish of it all. How  
could life be so cruel? While pondering this question, Xander promptly threw up again.  
  
Willow, the unfortunate loser of a coin toss, was seated on the very edge of her chair, the farthest from Xander that she could  
get. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay? 'Cause--uh--you're kinda making me sick. Not that that's a bad thing," she hurridly  
told him, "but... uh... it kinda is. Oh, ick!" she squealed as Xander, in response to her speech, threw up.  
  
"Yeah, Will," he told her sarcastically, "I'm doing this on purpose, just to tick you off." He sat back in his chair, looking  
uncharacteristically pale and green. The brown lettering on the barf bag in front of him danced, mocking him and all he cared  
about. His response: *Well, I was wondering what I had for dinner last night. Oh, yeah: Green stuff. Nevermind. Oh, no...  
not food... not that green stuff Cordy made...* His stomach flip-flopped and he promptly deposited yet another quart of his  
stomach contents. "I'll never eat again," he swore to his poor, suffering stomach.  
  
Willow shook her head, not saying anything. She had offered him some Dramamine, but he had thrown it back up. Twice. It  
wasn't pretty; not at all. She turned to Buffy, who was curled up in the other seat next to her. "On the way back, dibs on the  
window seat."  
  
The Slayer gave a small snore before snuggling into the comfy appolstery.  
  
Willow sighed, sitting back in her chair in remorse. "Or, I'll just sit here..."  
  
Xander attempted to think of something comforting, but was interrupted by the sudden churning of his stomach. "Oh no, not  
ag--" he groaned as he heaved his stomach contents. When he was done, he sat back, hands trembling from exhaustion.  
  
"Wanna learn a trick?" a voice asked at his ear.  
  
Xander jumped. "Lun@--what is it?"  
  
Lun@'s eyes regarded him serenely. "Give me your wrist." Obligingly, he handed over his hand palm down. Flipping his palm  
over, she suddenly jabbed his wrist sharply with two of her boney fingers.  
  
"Hey!" he yelped, snatching his hand back and nursing the red mark. "What was that for?"  
  
"That," she informed him, very matter-of-fact, "was a pressure point. Just jab right here," she pointed, "if you feel sick again. It  
should take away the nausea." She sat back down in the seat behind him with a sigh.  
  
Willow looked back at the brown haired girl. "Wanna switch seats?"  
  
Lun@ snorted. "Not in this lifetime. Not a snowball's chance in Hell. Not if the sun rises in the west and the moon melts in  
Pluto's heat into a mass of slimey green cheese-goo."  
  
"I, personally," Xander contributed blithely, if absentmindedly, "believe that Hell has already frozen over." Staring at his wrist, he  
pursed his lips in confusion. Extending his index and middle finger cautiously, he jabbed at his throbbing wrist. *Now that you  
mention it, I do feel better,* he admitted to himself.  
  
He gave Giles a glance, noting the intense conversation the Watcher was having with Ms. Calendar. *This whole trip is a stroke  
a genius,* he thought. *Finding the vampires and figuring out a way for the school to sponsor our trip to fight them was...  
not my job. For that you need... brains.*  
  
Oo, the plane was moving. With panicked fingers, he hurridly jabbed at his wrist. Finding the point after a few random jabs, he  
sighed with relief. *I guess I won't need this anymore.* Rolling the top of the bag down to seal it, Xander shoved it under the  
seat in front of him. *There. Out of the way.*  
  
Having nothing else to do, Xander indulged in a pasttime that he rarely touched on: thinking. *I wonder what that redhead's  
name is...* Of course, not all his thoughts were profound. Because Cordelia wasn't here to keep him firmly in line, his thoughts  
playfully strayed to the petite woman sitting behind Willow, next to Lun@. Unfortunately, she seemed to be off limits, being with  
the tall man sleeping quietly by the window. *Not that it mattered. She's too old for me. I won't even think--*  
  
The plane shuddered to a halt and Xander felt the all-too-familiar twist in his gut. "Oh, God." Covering his mouth with a hand,  
he searched desperately for his vomit sack. Not finding it, he snatched Willow's from its place in her seat pocket and threw up  
into it.  
  
"Xander!" Willow protested, looking uneasily at him.  
  
Disenchanted about the "Friendly Air", Xander wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and offered the used bag back to his  
friend.  
  
Pulling back as if it were a fanged cobra he offered her, she gave him an intense look of disgust. "That's just... gross."  
  
"Your generosity astounds me," Xander told her dryly, sticking it between his legs and cupping his poor, aching belly with his  
hands. "My stomach thanks you... whatever's left of it."  
  
He sat back and closed his eyes with exhaustion. Being sick took a lot out of you. Slowly he drifted off, his mind wavering  
between conscious and not quite unconscious, floating on the waves of--  
  
His stomach lurched. "God!" he cried, pounding on his wrist. "Just... kill me now..." The queasy sensation in his stomach eased.  
*Gee,* he thought to himself, *not everyone hits themselves to make themselves feel better. It must be something speacial  
that only happens to those who don't study. Ah, every freedom has it's prices. I will suffer for my art.*  
  
Feeling better and frankly... well... bored, he leaned back (again) in his comfy airplane seat and thought. Twice in one day, he  
told himself wryly. Willow's starting to rub off on you. Why did sleeping people always get the window seats? Sure, like they  
were in a position to enjoy it. Snatches of a conversation not including him wafted their way into his ears, and he strained to  
listen.  
  
"... is back."  
  
"Oh, that's terrible! ...Skull..."  
  
"Mold? No."  
  
"*mumble mumble*"  
  
"... deal with..."  
  
Well, Xander was surprised. It sounded as if chatty Lun@ was hushing and letting someone else do most of the talking, for  
once. Lun@ was shy, but she had an odd habit of pretending she wasn't. This time, though, the conversation didn't seem  
strained on her part. *How can someone have a heart-to-heart with a total stranger?!?* Xander shifted to hear more.  
  
"*mumble mumble*"  
  
"*giggles* You have to sooner or later."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It'll tear you up inside... ...minute."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"XANDER!" came a voice close in his ear. "STOP EAVESDROPPING!!!"  
  
Xander jumped in surprise. The red haired woman was shooting him evil cold glares from the seat behind as he whirled around  
to face Lun@. "Don't do that!"  
  
Buffy's Lunar Guardian surveyed him cruelly. "I would appreciate it," she hissed at him, "if you would direct your attentions  
elsewhere! Perhaps your Walkman?"  
  
Yeah, she was pissed. She only spoke like that when she was fighting the urge to tell him off in another language, usually Italian.  
She would, however, call him names. He didn't like it when she did, though; he always had to look the rediculous terms up.  
*That reminds me... look up "fornicater". See if it has anything to do with sheep.*  
  
"Okay..." he told her meekly. "I'll get it from Will right away."  
  
*5... 4... 3... 2... 1...*  
  
"Baka kaba," she muttered, going back to her seat.  
  
He sighed. Yet another one for the girl next to him to explain. Speaking of Willow...  
  
"Hey, Will," he whispered, holding out his hand, "can I have my Walkman back now?"  
  
Not looking up from her book, she nodded. "Huh? Sure, go ahead. It's in my backpack." She motioned her head towards her  
feet. "I let Giles borrow it in the car..." At a look from him, she answered, "Well, he was being annoying, and God knows what  
music he listens to in his spare time..."  
  
Xander held up his hand. "Please. I get the picture. Be still my beating stomach. It's time for some music written by some dead  
guy about a bazillion years ago. Gre-at." He took the tape out and looked at the label. "Bethoven's 9th," he read slowly. "What  
a crock." Carelessly, he disposed of the tape into his barf bag.  
  
"Xander!" Willow exclaimed, glaring at him. "That was Giles'!"  
  
"So if he misses it, I'll buy him a new one. What's the big deal?"  
  
Willow rolled her eyes. "Xander, you don't have any money. Besides, that's not the point."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Just be careful," she told him. "Some of the those tapes in there are Giles'."  
  
He reached into her bag and fished out another tape. This one was unlabeled. Shrugging, he popped it in and pressed "play". A  
clear, ringing, disgustingly over-celebrated voice cooed nausiatingly into his ears.  
  
"Everytime it happens, Go-o on..."  
  
"AHHHH!" Xander screamed, wretching the headphones off his ears and throwing them across the aisle, hitting Giles' in the  
head. "Nooo!"  
  
"What is it?" Buffy demanded, waking up. "Xander, what's wrong?!?"  
  
"He," Xander pointed an accusing finger, "Left his bootlegged Titanic tape in my collection!"  
  
Ms. Calendar put her hands on her hips and glared at her boyfriend. "Titanic? Nobody with taste likes Titanic!"  
  
The man in question squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. "Actually," he ventured, unable to meet the angry eyes staring at him,  
"I rather liked it. I thought it was... ah... rather... uh... stimulating."  
  
"You mean you liked oggling that girl's chest!" Jenny told him icily, severing his protests with a patented Look(tm).  
  
"No!" he protested.  
  
"Ugh. 8,000 dead people." Buffy's lips curled in disgust. "No, thanks."  
  
"I, uh, thought you liked dead guys." Willow turned to her.  
  
"No, only... *sigh* one."  
  
Xander was trying not to let his thoughts be deterred. "Anyway, about the tape. Don't do it again. Ever. That's just wrong. Vile  
and wrong."  
  
"Ah..." Giles stammered. "Ah... okay." Tucking his tape into his briefcase, he guiltily settled back down to sweet talk Jenny into  
being 'un-miffed'.  
  
Xander popped a demo tape of Oz's band into his walkman, and, with only a single last shudder, he pressed the 'play' button  
and settled down for the nice, long, trip. "Nice" being the unoperative word.  
  
No sarcasm intended.  
  
Xander felt his mind drifting to past events of past weeks, floating in free-fall through endless nonsense and such. The trip had  
been such a bright idea. Even though he rued the day the vampires had been discovered to have moved, he had to, however  
grudgingly, admit that it was pure genius. Yes, he remembered well what had happened...  
  
*****  
  
"That's it! That's where they have to be!"  
  
"But..." stammered Giles, flustered, "but... that's not... here..."  
  
"That's right, Giles. It's not," Buffy told him, with a hint of wryness.  
  
"No, but--"  
  
"Lun@ is right," Angel interrupted, appearing, as usual, to have materialized out of thin air. "They've left town."  
  
"But..." Willow murmured, confused, "We've been slaying... except for the past couple weeks where the slay-age... hasn't  
been."  
  
"Clones, Will. They were clones." A hand pushed long, brown hair impatiently away from the bright green eyes it had been  
hiding. "See, the vamps, they got this chalice... they can use the chalice to make this gooey stuff, and then this stuff can... clone...  
other stuff."  
  
"Very descriptive," Giles told Lun@. "That helps tremendously."  
  
Lun@ answered him with a gesture that none of them could quite interpret.  
  
"Yeah, but that doesn't explain why they haven't been out for the last couple weeks," Buffy exclaimed, frustrated.   
  
"Rain." Angel looked sure of himself.  
  
"Rain?" chorused many voices.  
  
"It's been rainy," Lun@ summed up.  
  
Giles, on the receiving end of lots of blank looks, clarified. "Clones melt in water."  
  
To his credit, Xander was taking this all in stride. "Oh. This is new. Add 'dissolves in water' to my list of wierdom."  
  
"You can do it the hard way, like you would slay a vampire--you know, stake or head-slicing--or you can just toss a bucket of  
regular water over their heads. Pretty simple." Luna shut her book with a snap, covering herself with dust. "I've gotta stop doing  
that." She looked at Giles. "Or maybe someone should start dusting."   
  
Giles looked flustered for a moment. Ms. Calendar had the heart to change the subject, though. "You were saying? About  
finding them?"  
  
"Oh, yeah." Lun@ and Angel quickly laid out their reasoning and final destination.  
  
"But..." Buffy ventured, half afraid to ask, "how are we gonna get there?"  
  
"Buffy's right," Willow agreed. "It's a bit too far to walk."  
  
"We'll fly, of course," Jenny said, as if it were as obvious as it was.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Lun@ glanced around nervously. "Which brings up another interesting point."  
  
"And that would be..." Buffy eyed her warily.  
  
"I refuse to go in a crate. I want a seat."  
  
"Lu-n@," she groaned, "it was just a movie!"  
  
"I don't want to be drugged up and put in a little tiny box for 17 hours or so. No, thank you."  
  
"You'll be fine--"  
  
"Do you know how big a bladder is?" the girl asked. Holding up a fist, she shook it in Buffy's face. "This big. This big! And  
that's human-sized, not tiny dog-sized! Have you ever had to hold it for 17 hours? Plus the time it'll take to get through  
customs..."  
  
"What movie?" Willow inquired, trying to follow this conversation.  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Homeward Bound II."  
  
"Oh. I see." She didn't, but it was okay.  
  
"Okay," Ms. Calendar interrupted, "let's say that's where they are. How are we going to get funding for the plane? We just can't  
sneak on, like Kendra did to get here."  
  
Everyone thought for a moment. "I've got it!" Xander cried. Everyone looked at him. "Hey, I'm allowed to think. I just... choose  
not to, usually."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay, then... what's your idea?"  
  
"Well," Xander drawled, "What if--"  
  
"I hate this game," Lun@ muttered under her breath.  
  
"--We had the school pay our way?" Xander continued, ignoring her.  
  
"Oh, that'll happen," Cordelia remarked sarcastically.  
  
"No, see, we'll just be real sneaky-like about it. Let's say... the school sponsers a contest in which the prize is an all expenses  
paid trip to anywhere? Couldn't that work? Especially if two teachers were to supervise the outing?"  
  
Suddenly the room was very quiet.  
  
Just as suddenly, the room was full of noise. Laughter, to be exact.  
  
"Oh yeah, they'll buy that," Angel chuckled, shaking his head in wonder at Xander's supreme stupidity.  
  
"Can you imagine Snyder trying to wrap his mind around this?" Giles hawed, holding his sides.  
  
"I can just see him now." Ms. Calendar began her impression of the school's beloved principal. "'You want the school to dish  
out money so that some kids can indulge in frivolous activity?!?' Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"  
  
Willow began to giggle. Seeing Xander's annoyed expression, she just shrugged.  
  
"You have to admit," Buffy bit back a grin, "it's kinda... out there."  
  
"Geez, Xander," Cordelia snarked, "Now you're really being a moron!"  
  
Only Oz was silent, pondering. "Maybe you just have to appeal to Snyder's dark side," Oz suggested offhandedly, tring to work  
out the details.  
  
"So it's a plan," Lun@ commented, snatching a clean sheet of paper and a pencil from the desk. "Let's get planning." She began  
to make a list.  
  
The laughter died out. "Diab, you can't be serious!" Angel remarked, accidentally slipping back onto her old name.  
  
She looked at him with feigned innocence. "Does anyone else have a better idea?" There was an exchange of guilty glances.  
"No, I didn't think so. So, what kind of contest? It has to be one that we can win, though not too obviously, or Baldy won't go  
for it." Lun@ preferred to refer to the principal affectionately as "Oh Balding One", or simply "Baldy".  
  
"Spelling?"   
  
"Computers?"  
  
"Fictional writing?"  
  
"Phone sex?"  
  
Many ideas were thrown out into the air, but Lun@ brushed them all off. "Come on!" she exclaimed. "Get original! All these  
have been done before!" They finally decided on a designing a computer program one, to Lun@'s intent dismay. "It's still not  
very creative," she grumped, unsatisfied.  
  
(((With much pushing, the idea was finally passed by Snyder, the school board, and a funding company. Willow and Oz  
worked diligently on their projects. Time passed, the school year ended (and there was much celebration) and the winner was  
finally announced. Since there would be no story if neither Oz nor Willow won, the author was forced to make an executive  
decision and let Willow win the contest. "How surprising," she commented glumly, already bored with this stupid-but-necessary  
paragraph. "Gosh, I didn't expect this to happen!!!")))  
  
*****  
  
Xander was started out of his musings by a sudden jolt of the plane. Jabbing at his wrist, he felt the plane move in a generally  
upward direction. "Tell me when we've leveled off," he moaned, squeezing his eyes shut.  
  
Giles gave him a funny glance. "We haven't even taken off yet. Are you feeling all right? You--ah--you look a bit... er... green."  
  
Xander groaned, covering his face with his arm.  
  
It promised to be a long flight. 


	7. The Ice Queen Cometh

I don't own Buffy. I don't own the two kindly agents and others from their genre. Joss, Mutant  
Enemy (gr! arg!), and others do.   
  
This one's for Laur, who always complains that only people with no life have time to read my fics.   
  
*****  
  
Well, the week had gone from bad to worse. The petite woman rubbed her temples and bit her lip  
to keep from crying. Not only had her mysterious dreams kept her from having a full night's sleep,  
Mulder was driving her crazy. And her computer had crashed, losing both the expense _and_  
medical reports, as well as her new solitare game. _And_ Frohike had asked her out. Again.  
Lewdly, as usual. AND she couldn't remember that stupid movie that she remembered only one line  
from. _AND_ Mulder had lost his cell phone again.   
  
But that wasn't even close to the topper. No, that was the bottom pancake on stack of her  
problems.   
  
Scully pushed her hair back from her face with a sigh. Whatever Mulder had in his pocket that was  
setting off the airline metal detector was driving her _insane_. "Mulder!" she snapped irritably at her  
chagrined partner. "Empty your pockets already! We're going to miss our flight!"  
  
"Chill out, Scully," he told her easily. "It's not my fault."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not, Mulder. It's never your fault."  
  
"Now what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
She shook her head, her chin-length red hair swinging. "You're going to miss the flight. I'm leaving without  
you."   
  
Mulder seemed genuinely surprised at the outburst from his normally so patient partner. "Scully, it's  
not my fault!"   
  
She felt like knocking his head against the wall. "It's probably all the marbles in your head knocking  
against each other," she grumbled grimly.   
  
"Marbles are made of glass."   
  
"Obviously, the ones in your head aren't!"   
  
The tall, lanky man was finally cleared after taking some sort of metallic figurine out of his pocket and handing  
it to the authorities. Passing through customs without notice--thank you, God--they boarded their  
plane. Mulder immediately claimed the window seat, to Scully's growing dismay, and quickly fell  
asleep. Having been handed this incredibly _stupid_ case so darn quickly, they hadn't been able to  
get different seats. Hence, Scully had a neighbor. *Oh, joy.*   
  
The young man in front of the empty seat next to Scully--*May it stay empty,* she prayed--was  
having a difficult time on the plane. The large hunk of metal hadn't even moved towards the runway,  
and already he was having motion sickness problems. She could hear his continuous wretching and  
winced; the sound and sickly-sweet/bitter smell was making her own stomach uneasy.   
  
"Don't mind him," a low voice in the aisle told her. "He'll stop... eventually." Scully looked up the  
body associated with the voice with surprise and slight dismay. Her seatmate was a teenager, a few  
years younger than the sick boy. Her straight brown hair fell to about mid-back, and her eyes were  
large and open. The person in question sat down next to Scully, grimacing. "Hopefully sooner rather  
than later, with the trick I just taught him."   
  
Scully studied the girl intently. There was something familiar about her... Especially the eyes. Bright,  
sharp eyes that seemed to look directly into the soul and read it's pain and time of... death. Maybe it  
was the lighting, but she had the largest pupils Scully had ever seen. They covered the whole iris,  
leaving only a ring of bright green around the black.   
  
*I remember her face from when I was hospitalized with cancer,* she realized, eyes growing. *She  
was hovering by me! No, it couldn't have been her... could it?*   
  
The object in question seemed uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "Hi, my name is Lun@," she offered,  
extending a hand and putting an odd accent on the "a".   
  
Scully simply stared.   
  
"Okay..." Lun@ took her hand back, placing it in her lap. "I can take a hint. I'll leave you alone."   
  
"No," Scully said, shaking her head, "It's just that... you look so familiar..."   
  
Lun@ squirmed uncomfortably, twisting the edge of her giant t-shirt. "Uh... I have that kind of face."   
  
"Oh." The red-haired agent didn't buy it. "I'm Special Agent Scully. The one sleeping in the corner is  
my partner, Special Agent Mulder. We're with the FBI."   
  
Lun@ frowned. "I didn't know the FBI did work in different countries."   
  
Scully sighed. "Neither did I."   
  
There was a small break in the conversation. "What the difference between a Special Agent and a  
regular agent?" Lun@ finally asked.   
  
Scully opened her mouth to reply before she realized that she didn't have one. "Uh... more  
paperwork?"   
  
Lun@ laughed.   
  
Scully allowed herself a slight chuckle at this. "I really have no idea," she confessed. "I've often  
wondered that myself. I sure do do a lot of paperwork, though."   
  
Lun@ looked over the bedraggled Special Agent with a careful eye. "You look tired," she  
pronnounced.   
  
Scully rubbed a hand over her face. "I've been having dreams all week. Really wierd ones. They've  
been keeping me up all night. I've actually been experiencing them for months now, but lately...  
they've gotten really violent.   
  
"For example, I saw a... a man with blond hair and pale skin and a whip. He kept asking me, "Who  
are they? Who are they?" and hitting me..." she trailed off, trembling. "It was awful."   
  
Lun@ was deep in thought. Suddenly, she fished around in her pocket and dug out a klenex. "Here."  
  
Scully looked at it dumbly. "What is this for?"   
  
Lun@ rubbed her nose uncomfortably. "You're... you're bleeding."   
  
Scully visibly flinched and accepted the tissue to clean her nose. "Thanks." There was a slight break  
in her voice.   
  
Lun@ put her hand on the petite woman's shoulder. "What's wrong? Should I call a doctor?"   
  
Scully shook her head in negation. "No. I already know what's wrong." She took a deep breath,  
glancing at Mulder to make sure he was really asleep.   
  
"What?"   
  
"I have cancer."   
  
"Oh," Lun@ gasped. "That's horrible!" She regarded the woman thoughtfully for a moment, watching  
her mop up her face with a moist towelette found in the back pocket of the seat infront of her.  
"When are you going to tell him?"   
  
Scully flinched again, as if she had been reaching for a cobra instead of her compact. "What do you  
mean?"   
  
"That Mulder guy. He needs to know."   
  
"What..." Scully's voice broke slightly again, and she worked to cover it up. "Why do you think that  
I haven't told him yet?"   
  
"Hunch. A correct one, judging by your reaction."   
  
The agent drew a raggad breath. "You don't understand." She hadn't meant to tell a perfect  
stranger--no less, a child--about her cancer. In fact, the only people who knew were AD Skinner,  
her doctor, and herself.   
  
"Make me."   
  
"Well..." Scully studied the ground. "I had a tumor before. It... metastisized and... almost killed me. I  
went into remission..." *No sense in going into the why and how.* "I thought it was over. Mulder  
did, too. It nearly killed him to see me so close to death."   
  
Suddenly, Lun@ remembered her. It had been last year, a soul she was supposed to collect. A...  
Dana Scully. She had waited by that woman's beside, hoping for a miracle... she had given that  
Mulder a poke in the butt, telling him to look deeper and find the chip. *I can't believe it worked...  
well, obviously, it didn't...*   
  
"About two months ago, about when I began having these dreams... my nosebleeds and headaches  
came back. I got myself checked..." Scully took a deep breath. "The doctor has instructed me that I  
can only take one more case before I'm to stop working. This is my last X-file."   
  
"Oh, no! That's terrible!" Lun@ whispered, touching the woman's arm gently. "Special Agent  
Scully... Agent Scully... Dana..." she shook her head. "Scully... you'd be surprised to see yourself  
now. You're doing great. But... you have to tell Mulder."   
  
"Why?" Scully mumbled. "What's the use? It would just kill him. Last time... he practically killed  
himself. I couldn't live with that. And, if he didn't, he would run away and leave me to work on this  
by myself, for my "protection". So, why bother." It wasn't a question.   
  
"Because," the girl said calmly, "It'll eat you up inside. The secret will chew at your sanity, your guilt  
will overwhelm you... and he'll be so hurt if you don't."   
  
"It sounds suspiciously like my cancer. Was that a Mulderism?"   
  
Lun@ giggled a little. Calming down, she sighed. "You have to, sooner or later."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"It'll tear you up inside." she repeated quietly. Suddenly, Lun@ caught sight of an ear pressed  
suspiciously up against the seat in front of her. "Hang on a minute." Standing and twisting around the  
seat, she moved her mouth close to Xander's ear. "Xander," she said loudly, "stop eavesdropping."   
  
He jumped a couple inches off his chair as Lun@ hid a grin, daring to glance back at Scully. Scully  
was giving him a frosted-over glare that could've froze Hawaii. Twice.   
  
Hiding her grin under a thin layer of frost, she lost her good humor and glared at him as he hissed,  
"Don't _do_ that!"   
  
Lun@ had years of practice of not being able to laugh. "I would appreciate it," she told him, the ice  
in Scully's glare giving her power, changing her mood to the blackest in the book, "if you would  
kindly direct your attentions elsewhere. Perhaps your Walkman(tm)?" She was secretly itching to  
call him a hippo's asshole, but she doubted that he'd appreciate the beauty of the Japanese language.  
Giving him a good, hard LOOK, she let him see her anger.   
  
"Okay," he agreed in a cowed, high-pitched voice. "I'll--" he cleared his throat, returning it to it's  
normal octave, "get it back from Will right away."   
  
*He is _such_ a dork!!!* Shaking her head in disgust, she couldn't resist muttering "Baka Kaba" as  
she headed back to her seat.   
  
Plopping back down next to Scully, she gave her an apologetic glance. "Sorry 'bout that."   
  
Scully shrugged, still amazed at the outcome of that small battle. That was a teenage boy she had  
yelled at, one who had been snapping at people all morning, had just instantly shut up at the sight of  
that passive, quiet girl. Very odd... very odd indeed. It didn't matter, though; Scully had problems  
that she needed to work out by herself. Wrapping her frail, dying body in a quilt of silence, she  
immersed herself in her thoughts.  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, Lun@ had her own problems. None that she could tell anyone. Not Buffy, not Giles,  
not even Angel.   
  
First of all, nothing was going as planned. Sure, she _looked_ like she had it all under control, but  
she was slowly, painfully losing her grip on reality and the situation at hand. She had no idea what  
she was going to do; Japan was a huge country, and Tokyo was a large city. If the vamps were  
careful, they could easily escape from noticable view for at least a month. Unfortunately, that was all  
the group had: a month. One month-long vacation. Not nearly enough time.   
  
Second of all, she was having dreams similar to the ones Agent Scully had described. Similar, but  
yet... different. Hers hadn't been so violent, but they consisted of images familiar yet not placeable in  
her memory, and faces of unnamed and unknown friends. They were long dead, but perhaps... if she  
could place a name with the face, she could look up her friends and find clues to her missing past... a  
whole lifetime of memories, literally. The only consistancy in the dreams was their ending: a kind,  
young face with long gray-purple hair smiled sadly and repeated, "All will be revealed." Every night  
before she fell asleep, she had to wonder about her past. *Was I really so terrible for all the other  
angels to hate me so much? Was I a theif, a murderer, a traitor... what? And,*--this thought ran  
more painfully--*why aren't my parents in heaven?*   
  
Brushing her hair out of her eyes with her long, slender fingers, she finally pondered the most  
disturbing thing of all: her Gaurdian status.   
  
Obviously, she wasn't performing wonderfully. Her mortal wasn't doing too well, and Lun@ was the  
only Gaurdian to ever lose their subject... twice, no less. Buffy was strong, a fighter, but she wasn't  
happy. She had a great personality and a keen source of friends, but as for true happiness, that  
warmth that fills your belly and gives a definite radience to your aura and soul, she just didn't cut it.  
This upset Lun@ and put her at a great risk. A Gaurdian is only immortal and impervious to mortal  
means of danger if their protected is happy and content. Lun@, therefore, could die and mess up the  
big scheme of things if she didn't get her act together and help the Slayer find something cheery to  
think about for a while, to make her enjoy life.   
  
A more concerning matter in that general area, though, was her Gaurdian powers. Or lack there of,  
in her case. She was having problems with the simple stuff, like flying, blessing, and changing shape.  
Oh, sure, going from dog to human and back again was an easy enough process, but any other  
shapes, even simple ones like cats or birds, simply were out of her reach. Plus, now and then, she  
had dizzy spells and terrible colds. Even if she wasn't immortal, she should be proof against  
disease... but, no. The only powers she had consistantly been able to perform was the healing rune  
sigal and her phazing power; otherwise, she had to depend on her experience as an AoD to allow  
her to assist Buffy on her patrols. It was gratifying to the other angels, who gloated about it every  
chance they got. "Still getting in trouble?" they teased, but it felt malicious, and cruel.  
  
Standing up, she streached and made her way to the smelly little bathroom at the end of the plane.  
*Hope Xander's not in there.*   
  
*****  
  
*No!* a voice yelped in his head. *No! Don't take her away!* He tossed and turned, watching the  
battle of his life flash before his eyes as his most important person was tangled in the light, streached  
and torn and yanked to the skies, forced to embrace the decidedly _not_ government issue  
spacecraft. *Scully!*   
  
A sharp poke in his ribs caused him to turn uncomfortably. "Stopit," he muttered quietly, huddling in  
on himself. "Gotta save Scully. Go 'way."   
  
"Mulder," a kind voice told him gently, "wake up. You're having a nightmare."   
  
For some unknown reason, Mulder firmly resisted acknowledging his dream. "No."   
  
"Mulder," the oddly-familiar voice prodded again, "I'm right here. I'm fine. Wake up. I'm here."   
  
Suddenly, he managed to place the voice. "Scully!" He bounced up like a spring, at last awake.   
  
The woman in question raised an eyebrow at his eager tone. "Yes?" she inquired sweetly.   
  
"I... I..." He stumbled over his tongue for a moment. "I had a dream," he finally decided on.   
  
For some reason that Mulder couldn't comprehend, her face darkened. "Oh, really?" she asked, too  
casually. "About what?"   
  
He looked her straight in the eye. "They took you again."   
  
Scully comfortingly lay her hand on his. "I'm fine, Mulder."   
  
The way she always said that, especially when she was lying, shook him inside. Having no evidence,  
though, he decided not to pursue it. "I'm glad."   
  
Staring at her hands, she worked them nervously. "I--ah--I have a favor to ask. Switch seats with  
me, please?"   
  
"Eh... why, if I may ask?"   
  
Scully fidgeted quietly. "There's this girl I'm sitting next to... she's scaring me... there's just something  
about her... I can't really sleep well... and I think you'd get along better with her than I will." She  
looked at Mulder with her darkly rimmed eyes, pleading with him. "I just want to get some sleep..."   
  
"Okay, okay, Scully!" Mulder interrupted, patting her shoulder gently. "No need to rough me up!"  
Giving her a small smile, he helped her move her things. Gently pillowing her head with his jacket  
against the wall, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Sweet dreams," he whispered.   
  
Streaching out, he prepared to fall asleep.   
  
"Hullo. You're Mulder, right?"   
  
His eyes snapped open. "Yeah. And you must be..." *that girl Scully said was freakin' her out.*   
  
"Lun@." She plopped down in her seat, covering herself up in a blanket.   
  
*Weird name... weird kid, in fact.* "What did you and Scully talk about?"   
  
She paused. "Oh, this 'n' that. So, why're you goin' to Japan?"   
  
Mulder noticed the subject change. "An X-file. I assume Agent Scully told you what we do."   
  
Lun@ shook her head. "She said you were Feebies, but..."   
  
A grin streached out on his face. "Scully said that?"   
  
"Well, she may not have used that exact terminology, but it ran somewhere along those lines." Her  
eyes twinkled.   
  
"Oh, well, we investigate... odd phenomena."   
  
"You mean, like extraterrestrials, robots, demons, vampires... angels..."   
  
Mulder was impressed. "Yeah, that's pretty close. Never done any angels before, though."   
  
Lun@ nodded. "They're out there. Ever wonder why something good happens? Look for a fluttering  
of wings, the sound of breeze, a white feather... it's proof that the Joy-Luck Committee is looking  
after you." She realized her mistake as soon as his eyes lit up.   
  
"Really? How do you know this?"   
  
*Hmm... caught between a roc and a hard place... improvise, girl, improvise.* "I'm observant."  
*There. Not exactly a lie, but... not all the truth... that method's never failed me yet.*   
  
If he noticed her aversion to the question, he didn't comment. In fact, he was busy noticing her eyes.  
Strange, soulful things; the pupils were enormous, even in the well-lit cabin. "How old are you,  
Lun@?"   
  
That got a grin out of her. "As old as the sun, the moon, and the third star to the right. Old enough to  
know, old enough to care, old enough to worry, but not old enough to lie about it. Fifteen--"  
*hundred or so.* "I'll be sixteen soon." She had lost track of her age over the years, but she knew it  
to be roughly over 15,000... maybe more. Still, her physical age had remained the same until she  
was forced into this job... against her will.   
  
Mulder bit back a grin. This kid had a sense of humor that he could relate to... Scully was right, he  
did like her. *Now _there's_ a surprise. Scully was right?!? Never!* "Hey, do you like brain  
teasers?"   
  
"The question is, do you?" There was a wicked gleam in her eye. *Hundreds of years of living  
haven't been for nothing, finally!*   
  
"Okay... A man walks into a bar. He askes the bartender for a glass of water. The bartender whips  
out a gun and points it at him. The man--"   
  
"Says 'thank you' and walks out. Heard it seen it, been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. He had the hiccups. My turn." She thought for a moment. "I am the outstreached fingers that seize and hold the wind. Wisdom flows from me in other hands. Upon me sweet dreams are dreamt. My mearest touch brings laughter. What am I?"   
  
Mulder's jaw dropped a bit. He hadn't expected something like that! "Uh... um..."   
  
Lun@ bit her tongue to keep from laughing. "You can ask yes/no questions, if you want."   
  
Mulder mocked his relief. "Whew! Is it soft?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Is it a real finger?"   
  
"Nopers."   
  
"Is it... magic?"   
  
She laughed softly. "Hardly."   
  
After quite a few more guesses, he finally got it. "Is it a feather?"   
  
"Hallelujah! He's got it!" Lun@ gave him a round of silent applause.   
  
It was Mulder's turn, and this time he wasn't going to be so easily defeated. He had gotten into the old, cryptic metaphor mode, though, so he quickly made up his own on the spot. "I am two faced, but bear only one face. I have no legs but travel widely. Men spill much blood over me. Kings leave their imprint on me. I have greatest power when given away, yet lust for me keeps me locked up. What am I?"   
  
Lun@ loved to wrap her mind around a good puzzle. "Is it small?"   
  
Mulder nodded his head, enjoying this.   
  
"Are its two faces attached to heads?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Can it switch it's two faces?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Does it ever have more than two faces?"   
  
"No."   
  
Lun@ closed her eyes, thinking hard. She began to think more between her questions, until finally her eyes snapped open. "It's a coin, isn't it?"   
  
Mulder smirked at her cocked head. "Yeah, that would be it."   
  
"Goodie! Okay, it's my turn... hm... High born, my touch is gentle. Purest white is my lace. Silent, silent is my kingdom. Green is my death. To some, I bring delight; to others, I bring certain death. I am always different, but always the same." She let her voice trail off, giving him thinking time. "What am I?" 


	8. I'll Have the Chicken--Potatoes--Er...

Author's Note: Yeah, you know the drill. Seventh verse, same as the first, A little bit louder and a whole lot worse. yada, yada,  
yada...  
  
By the way, Artemis and Luna are cats. Artemis is white and male, and Luna is black and female. Please note the spelling of  
"Luna".  
  
*****  
  
I love cats. They taste just like chicken.  
  
*****  
  
A delicate, silver tine poked the shivering white mass.  
  
"What do you think it wants?" Lun@ wondered, poking it again with her fork.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Mulder returned, mimicking her movement.  
  
"It appears to be scalloped chicken." Scully prodded the unidentified substance, turning it over and sniffing it delicately.  
  
"Eww..." Mulder groaned. "How do you scallop chicken?"  
  
Lun@ paled. "I thought it was potatoes!" Tapping the stewardess on the shoulder, she summoned up her nerve to answer the  
question. "Excuse me, Ma'm?"  
  
"Yes?" came the harried, slightly rude yet overly perky reply.  
  
They exchanged a short, harried dialogue that had overtones of contempt on the stewardesses part and horror on Lun@'s.  
  
Returning to her seat with a grimace, Lun@ pushed her plate away. "Well, I'm not eating it."  
  
Scully asked, "Are you a vegitarian?"  
  
"No, that's not it... it's cauliflower. I'll just eat the biscut and my orange. Either of you have any real food?"  
  
Scully rummaged through her purse. "Gum?"  
  
Mulder, always prepared for a snacking emergency, pulled out his trusty bag of sunflower seeds. Opening it, he leaned the open  
end towards Lun@, offering her some.  
  
Accepting a handful, she carefully began the long, tedious process of separating the small meat from the shell. "Thanks."  
  
Mulder offered the bag to his partner with a leer. "Salts for the salty?"  
  
"No thanks, Mulder," Scully told him, "but I'll stick with the Mystery Meat of the Day."  
  
"Dangerous woman," Lun@ muttered, mouth full of her dry, crusty dinner roll.  
  
"You better believe it!" Mulder leered with a wink.  
  
"Willow to save the day!" a cheery face chirped, popping over the middle seat. Holding out a bag, she grinned. "Just in case,  
y'know, your's isn't... uh... edible. Actually, my Mom made 'em. One for each of us."  
  
"Thanks, Willow! You're a lifesaver! Blessings upon you and your family and everything you stand for!" Lun@ yelped greedily,  
grabbing the bag. Opening the brown-paper sack up, she searched through the contents. "You know, they should sell these at  
the terminal. I know I'd buy 'em! Ooo-oo... chocolate..." With a giant grin, she pulled out a chocolate chip bagel and  
ceremoniously began to pull it apart, eating the pieces. "I love you."  
  
Willow bobbed her head against the praise. "So, how ya holding up? Wanna, uh, trade seats or anything?"  
  
Lun@ offered her a kind look. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm enjoying the company." Probably more than they're enjoying  
me, but they'll live. She handed a bag of chips from her food sack to Mulder. "Real food. Eat."  
  
Willow turned around, smiling a disturbing smile. "Okay... I'll just... see ya later." From the other side, they could hear the  
beginning of a new conversation. "So, Xander... thrown up anything good lately?"  
  
Mulder stuffed the chips between his hip and the seat arm and continued to snack on his sunflower seeds. *Gee, Lun@ silently  
murmured wryly, can we say "oral fixation"?* She watched the way he rolled the seed around in his mouth, removing the shell  
with the air of fine persision that only comes with experience. Then, Lun@ noticed something even more interesting.  
  
Scully had her eyes fixed on his oral fixation.  
  
And was loving it.  
  
*Hm... interesting... Ve-ry interesting...* With a contemplative look on her face, Lun@ slid her headphones over her ears and  
began to listen to one of her favorites: Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita.  
  
*****  
  
"Usagi! Stop poking me! And get your stupid face out of my comic book!" A flash of black hair and a twinkle of brown eyes,  
and the "Sailor V" comic book disappeared.  
  
"Hey..." the blonde whined, "Rei... I was reading that..."  
  
The two grinned at each other, reminiscing about a time when such fighting would have been orthodox and commonplace. Three  
years and about 50 million monsters later, the two found better things to quibble about than silly comic books, maturity, and  
boyfriends.  
  
Well, maybe not the comic books part.  
  
Rei gave her friend a hard look of mock scorn. "Usagi, you're such a baby."  
  
The "baby" stuck out her tongue and pulled her bottom eyelid down with a finger in a childish insult. "Dweeb!"  
  
They stared at each other for a moment, eyes blazing, re-igniting old fires and rubbing the proverbial salt into ancient wounds.  
  
And burst into laughter.  
  
"Usagi," Rei giggled, struggling for breath, "You're such a..." she struggled for breath to continue her sentance. "You're so... You  
always use the same old insults, don't you!"  
  
"I do not! You're so mean!" the other girl whined. They stopped laughing for a moment to look each other straight in the eye.  
  
And cracked up again.  
  
"Usagi," Ami interrupted, "don't you have a test tomorrow?"  
  
The blonde stopped laughing. "Oh, yeah," she commented without enthusiasm. "You had to remind me."  
  
"Don't worry," Makoto consoled. "I'm sure Ami, my dear, bestest friend, will help you study."  
  
Ami hung her head and let out a sigh. "Yes... I suppose so..." With a depressed look, the naturally blue-haired girl closed her  
book and walked away, towards the flower garden. "Excuse me... I'm just going... to take a walk..."  
  
Makoto and Usagi exchanged a guilty look. "Eh... oops."  
  
Minako, sitting in the corner petting her white cat Artemis, shrugged. "Don't worry, you guys, it's not your fault. She's been that  
way ever since the Starlights left," she said, referring to a group of guys that had turned into girls to help them in the fight against  
their last opponent. "And frankly," she added, "I'm kinda missing them myself."  
  
"You mean you're missing a certain Yaten Kou from the group," Rei interjected slyly.  
  
"Yeah. Gee, how did you ever guess." The sarcasm was lost on the group, however.  
  
"I think it was the way your eyes always lit up when you saw him," Makoto commented.  
  
"And how he was always so nice to you," Usagi agreed.  
  
"And--" Luna started.  
  
"Stop, stop! Alright, I give!" Minako threw her hands up in surrender. "Geez, next thing you know, Artemis will be ganging up  
on me, too!"  
  
Artemis winked at Luna. "Well, I did read your diary..."  
  
"ARTEMIS!!!"  
  
"Lotsa juisy blackmail material in there..."  
  
"AHHH!" The blond haired girl jumped up with fury. "I'm gonna kill you!!!"  
  
A sweatdrop appeared on the white cat's head. "My cue to split." He galloped away, narrowly escaping a flying pillow.  
  
"Betcha didn't know that fried cat is a delicacy in China!!!!" Minako screamed, running after him.  
  
Usagi giggled. "Luna, arencha gonna go after them? I mean, you do want to see Artemis again, right?"  
  
Luna smirked. "A little beating now and then wouldn't kill him."  
  
"A-a-a-a-oWWWWWWWWWW!!! Help! She's--hh-oww!!!" There came a strangling noise from outside.  
  
"Get back here, you mangy animal!" There was the sound of something crashing.  
  
"Or," Luna murmured, jumping out the door, "maybe he'll just owe me one."  
  
Usagi giggled some more. "She'll never believe it, but I actually studied today."  
  
"You?" Makoto cried, dubious. "Study? You're kidding, right?"  
  
Usagi shook her head. "Uh-uh. I cracked the books. And I actually knew some of the stuff. No 30%s for me, nuh-uh!"  
  
Makoto jumped up, guilty. "Maybe I should talk to Ami-chan... I don't need to flunk, either... Plus, I think she needs some  
cheering up. Don't worry; I'll give her the time of her life... after she helps me study..." With a weak grin to match her weak  
excuse, Makoto left Rei's room to find her blue-haired friend.  
  
Usagi lay back and stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking. "Rei..." she said after a while.   
  
"What is it, Dumpling-head?" the raven-haired beauty replied absently. She didn't even have to glance up to know that Usagi  
was self-conciously rolling her eyes up towards the two buns nestled on either side of her head.  
  
Usagi fingered the pigtails that trailed out of the buns nervously. "Promise me something..." the girl's voice quivered.  
  
"Promise me... you'll never die again... you won't let anybody, no matter how powerful they are, kill you, or any of the others...  
okay?"  
  
"Geez," Rei looked up in gentle impatience, "Do you have spaghetti in your head to match the dumplings in your hair? I can't  
promise anything like that--"  
  
"Rei, promise me. I can't... I can't do it again... not knowing... that I could get you all killed... you just... poof! ...gone..."  
  
"Usagi, that wasn't your fault. Besides, we're all alive now, aren't we?"  
  
"Yes, but... I need you to promise that you won't die again. Not while I'm alive. Not now. Just... please... promise..." She  
suddenly sat up. "Rei, you're one of my best, closest friends. Please don't leave me again. I can't... I can't--please--"  
  
"Usagi!" Rei interrupted. "Usagi! Don't worry, I'm not gonna die yet. I promise not to die for a long time, okay?" She hugged  
her friend hard. "We're gonna be here for you for a while. So just chill, okay?"  
  
"Okay." Usagi sniffled, wiping two large tears from her large blue eyes. "I'll be okay." She hugged her friend hard. Suddenly, her  
back straightened rigidly. "What time is it?"  
  
"Uh... Quarter after seven?"  
  
"Ahhh! I'm late! I was supposed to meet Mamo at seven!!" Scooping up her things, she made a mad dash for the door. "Bye!  
See ya later! Tell everyone else--Ahh! Down kitty!--that I left and..." her voice trailed off in the distance.  
  
Rei simply shook her head. "She'll never change."  
  
*****  
  
Mamoru looked at his watch. Why was he not surprised that his Usagi was late? With an "Oomph!" he promptly fell over.  
  
"Sorrysorrysorrysorry," the blond girl chanted, as if it were her personal litany. Looking up, her eyes grew wide. "Mamo!" She  
threw her arms around her boyfriend and kissed him squarely on the mouth.  
  
"Mm!! Mm..." he sighed happily, kissing her back. "Usako..." Her pet name was almost lost to the both of them. "So," he  
continued, after the kiss had ended sweetly, "ready for dinner?  
  
She laughed. "Are you kidding? I'm starved! I could eat... I could eat... well, a lot!"  
  
He groaned good-naturedly, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "You're gonna take a big chunk out of my paycheck again,  
aren't ya?"  
  
Laughing, she held the hand hanging over her shoulder. "Mamo, I love you."  
  
*****  
  
"You guys, have any of you talked to Usagi lately about... Galaxia?"  
  
Minako and the other three seriously considered Rei's question. It wasn't a time any of them were really _comfortable_  
remembering, as it had been the stuff nightmares were made of, but it was considered upon polite request of another for a  
reason. Galaxia had been a powerful enemy who had stolen their star-seeds, the very essense of their souls, and killed them,  
right before the horrified Usagi's eyes. Minako shuddered to remember the look of pain that had been on Usagi's face after  
Chaos, the evil entity possessing Galaxia, had been defeated. Galaxia had surrendered and disappeared, leaving Usagi  
supposedly all alone. In that one, heartbreaking moment, the girl had completely dispaired. Luckily, Galaxia had released all the  
star seeds to go inhabit the bodies of their previous owners, allowing the Sailor Warriors to come back to life, back to Usagi.  
  
"No," Minako finally answered for all of them, "Why?"  
  
Rei paced nervously on the packed-down dirt and shot the others, who were sitting on the temple porch, worried glances. "She  
and I had a talk today, that's all."  
  
"About what?" asked Makoto, shaking her long, brown ponytail with interest.  
  
Rei stopped her pacing. "She made me promise not to die again. I think that last battle shook her up more than we thought."  
  
"She's still so innocent, even after all those years of fighting," Minako sighed.  
  
"Yes, she takes things so harshly," Ami agreed. "She feels that she has to be an adult, instead of a kid."  
  
"I don't know," Luna said, smoothing her black fur down with her paw, "I think she has come to handle the responsibility quite  
well."  
  
"Yeah," Rei snorted, "too well. She's just a scared little rabbit under all that maturity, a scared little rabbit who's forgotten how  
to live. She knows how to fight, she knows how to survive, she's still all innocence and love, but... she's terrified of losing  
anyone else."  
  
Makoto nodded slowly. "I think... I think she needs some time to realize that we're not going anywhere for a while."  
  
"Exactly. She'll remember that we're going to be by her side for quite some time now," Ami agreed, closing her enormous  
blue-gray eyes.  
  
"How do you know?" asked Minako quietly, twirling a strand of golden hair around her finger. "Maybe we're all going to die  
tommorow. Rei, how could you make a promise like that?!? You shouldn't make promises that you won't be able to keep!"  
  
Ami shook her head. "No, it's okay. First of all, Usagi knows that Rei just promised to make her feel better. Second of all, does  
everyone remember how we went to the future with Chibiusa a long time ago, before she came back to be a Sailor Senshi?"  
There was a quorum of nods as they fondly remembered the pink-haired tyke who'd surprised them all by being Usagi's future  
daughter. "Well, we were there, in the future, so we should be okay. At least 'till then.",  
  
"I don't know..." Luna commented, looking into the Japanese sky with apprehension. "I think we aren't going to be prepared for  
what comes next..."  
  
*****  
  
Haruka and Michiru walked through the park, side by side, holding hands.  
  
"Ruka," murmured the teal-haired beauty also known as Sailor Neptune, "I think we need to talk."  
  
"Yeah, Michiru?" the tomboy whispered back, stopping to hold her lover's hand. "Do you really think that?"  
  
Michiru reached up to touch the other's short, blond hair. "Have I told you how much I love you yet today?" she asked  
sensuously, moving her head closer.  
  
"No..." Her head moved closer, also, and both their eyes slowly closed.  
  
"Oh, I hate to interrupt," A voice called out cheerily, "But do mind surrendering your life for us?" A hand grabbed Michiru's hair,  
pulling her away from Haruka. "No, I didn't think so."  
  
Haruka's eyes snapped open as her lover was snatched from her arms, expression growing fierce. "Just who do you think you  
are, anyway?!" Throwing a hard left jab, she lashed out at the other's offending mouth.  
  
The mouth suddenly changed. The featured rose and wrinked, becoming ugly folds of flesh, and the teeth became horrendously  
filled with points.  
  
"Run, 'Ruka!" the frightened girl cried. "Run, go get help!"  
  
Haruka hated to leave her girlfriend. "No! This trash is going down! You're the ugliest one yet!"  
  
Another horrendously scarred face appeared. "Is she the Slayer?" the vampire asked, disgusted. "We shouldn't have wasted our  
time crossing the ocean."  
  
"Don't be fooled," the other replied. "She has slain many of our kind."  
  
"I don't know what your kind is," Haruka growled, "and I don't intend to take the time to figure out! URANUS PLANET  
POWER, MAKE UP!"  
  
"What?!?"  
  
Michiru elbowed the vampire holding her hair and stood behind Sailor Uranus. "NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"  
  
"Heralded by the New Age, I am Sailor Uranus, acting gorgeously!" the one in the dark navy and yellow uniform cried, running  
through her usual lines. "And you have just made a big mistake, buddy!"  
  
"The same for me, Sailor Neptune, acting gracefully!" the teal and navy uniformed senshi cried. "And in the name of Neptune--"  
  
"In the name of Uranus--"  
  
"We will punish you!" they both cried together.  
  
"I don't believe this!" the second vampire told the first. "I thought she was a he!!!"  
  
"Nice legs," the first commented.  
  
"I'm glad you like them, because they're going to be the last thing you ever see!" Neptune began her magical attack. "DEEP  
SUBMERGE!"  
  
Waters, appearing out of nowhere, grabbed the vampires and hurled them against a nearby tree.  
  
"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!" Sailor Uranus cried, whacking at the vampires with her magical sword.  
  
With little resistance, she cleanly sliced off the second one's head.  
  
"Hey!" The first one cried, to himself. "She's got a sword!"  
  
"So she does," Neptune commented, "So she does." Grabbing her mirror out of her space-pocket, she looked into it.  
  
"Yes, the vampire leered, sweeping a kick at Uranus, "fix your make up!"  
  
"SUBMARINE..." Neptune cried. Suddenly, she twisted her mirror around to face their mentally challanged attacker.  
"REFLECTION!" A beam of bright light shot out of the delicate item, blinding and peeling the skin off the vampire's face and  
arms.  
  
"Ahhh!" it screamed, stopping in the middle of the hoarse cry to have it's head cut off.  
  
"Well..." Neptune said, detransforming, "This is something new to tell the Princess..."  
  
"Must we really bother her, Michi?" Uranus asked, also de-transforming. "Dumpling-head's really so much happier being a  
normal girl..." She trailed off with a sigh, knowning it had to be done.  
  
"Yes, 'Ruka," Michiru told her quietly, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder, sharing her pain. "She is the Princess. She must  
fight." 


	9. Shadow Stalkers

Disclaimer: Do I really need this? Do I _look_ like I own anything? No,  
I should say not. Don't ask stupid questions.  
  
Oh, and you get a bonus quote today. :) Merry Christmas!  
  
*****  
  
A couple years back, I... no, wait... that was yesterday...  
  
*****  
  
"I don't think about what I don't think about!"  
  
"But, do you think about what you do think about?"  
  
--Some old movie  
  
*****  
  
  
Greeness insued from the general vicinity of Xander. "Scully,  
you're a doctor, right?" Lun@ inquired, desperate to make him stop.  
  
The two agents exchanged a glance. "How did you know that?"  
  
*In one sentance, I've managed to talk myself into a corner. Damn.*  
"You've mentioned it."  
  
Scully lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Someone mentioned it. I heard it." At the agent's critical looks, Lun@  
grew defensive. "Well, I could've guessed, I guess. Stop looking at me  
like that. I'm not some kinda bug to be studied or something."  
  
"Lun@, you seem... exceedingly familiar," Scully told her, biting her lip.  
  
"Well, I'm not," Lun@ replied sulkily. Sitting back in her chair, she  
yanked her blanket up higher and snuggled back into her chair. "I'm not  
anybody, okay? I'm just... me, so... we don't know each other." Pulling  
the blanket over her head, she jabbed the "Play" button on her Walkman(tm).  
  
Scully and Mulder exchanged a glance.  
  
"So, do you think our friend is hiding something?"  
  
*****  
  
"We are experiencing some turbulence--"  
  
"I think I speak for everyone when I say, 'No, duh'," Xander snarled.  
  
"--so please find your seat and buckle in. Make sure that small children  
are firmly secured."  
  
"I--am--so--going--to--hurl," the brown-haired teen groaned, punctuating  
each word with a poke at his pressure point. "Oh!" he cried in delight.  
"It worked! Will, I'm cured!"  
  
"Finally," the miserable girl muttered. "I'm glad, Xander."  
  
"Mmm..." Buffy murmured, sitting up and streching. "What's up?"  
  
"This airplane," Willow volenteered.  
  
"Very sharp, Will."  
  
"And, uh, turbulence."  
  
"Ah, turbulence. Turbulence is... bad." Buffy snuck a look at Xander.  
  
"Yes, but thanks to this nifty pressure point Lun@ showed me," he  
demonstrated by jabbing his wrist, "I'm all better. So, anyone up for a  
game of Travel Parcheesi(tm)?"  
  
"I think I'll pass," Buffy told him dryly. "So, what's been going on?"  
  
"Giles found information."  
  
"'Bout what?"  
  
"'Bout the Ginzouishou cult. It has nine or ten main people in it."  
  
"That's specific enough. Nine _or_ ten?"  
  
"Well... I guess it's ten. But, see, the cool thing is, they're almost all  
female."  
  
"With tiny skirts," Xander volenteered, displaying an ancient picture of  
three women in short skirts preparing for battle. "Their legs are longer  
than the average slayer's."  
  
"What's so special about them? Why does Lun@ want them researched?" Buffy  
crossed her legs Indian-style and sat up straight, leaning against the  
window.  
  
"Well... they were around about 2,000 years ago... The details are a little  
fuzzy, but I think they lived on the Moon, in the... uh... Moon Kingdom."  
  
"Well, no points for originality," Buffy commented. "So what?"  
  
"They, uh, they're supposed to live in... uh... in Japan now. There's nine  
girls--"  
  
"In short skirts!" Xander inserted again, showing another picture of the  
girls, this time laying in a circle.  
  
"Xander, enough with the hormones."  
  
"I like hormones! Hormones are good!"  
  
"Anyway..." Buffy prompted with a hint of humor in her glance.  
  
"There's one for every planet and Earth's moon. The Sailor Scout for Earth,  
though... well... isn't."  
  
"Isn't?"  
  
"She's a he. I mean, he's... not a senshi. He's the Earth Prince. He's  
in love with the Moon Princess."  
  
"The Moon Princess?"  
  
"The Keeper of the Ginzouishou."  
  
"What's the Ghesuntite?"  
  
"Ginzouishou. It's a..." Willow flipped through the pages of the volume  
in front of her. "... silver crystal thingy. Really powerful stuff. If  
you had it, you could kill all the vampires easily. 'Cept, of course, Angel,  
'cause, y'know, he's good 'n'... stuff."  
  
"Yeah, _no one_ wants to kill Angel," Xander agreed sarcastically. Buffy  
and Willow looked at him evilly. "What, wasn't that sincere enough for you?"  
  
"Anyway... what else do we know?"  
  
"Not much..."  
  
"Wonderful. Remind me, why are we researching this again?"  
  
"Because the almighty Lun@ told us to," Xander quipped. "All hail."  
  
"Xander," Buffy called.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Sugar bad." She gave him a pointed glance. "What's with you?"  
  
"He's making up for lost time," Willow explained. "It's a guy thing."  
  
"Wonderful," Buffy commented dryly.  
  
"Hey," Xander yelped, "I'm getting the feeling that perhaps you have  
something against me and--"  
  
"Your mouth?" Willow interjected.  
  
"Rroww," Buffy mewed. "Down, girl."  
  
"Anyway, back to the girls--"  
  
"In--"  
  
"Short skirts, Xander. Yes, we've caught on to that. What about them?  
And that crystal thing, that sounded useful. Let's get it."  
  
"Getting it..." Willow stuttered, "would be bad. Bad! The other, uh,  
eight senshi would most likely, uh, pound your head into the ground before  
you even met the princess."  
  
Buffy winced. "Ouch. What does this all have to do with clones?"  
  
"Surprisingly, nothing," Xander informed them. "Gee, what a shock. We  
do grunt work for ol' Dog Girl while she--" he turned around in his seat to  
look, "--listens to music."  
  
"What a bum. How dare she take a couple hours off to relax? Xander,  
Lun@'s been working in overdrive to figure everything out and teach me,"  
Buffy grimaced, "even when I don't want to be teached, so--"  
  
"Taught."  
  
"'Scuse me?"  
  
"You said 'teached'. The word is 'taught'. Oh, sorry." Willow's face  
reddened to the point of matching her hair.  
  
"Will, get off of 'school' mode. School is officially over for the summer.  
I'm just going to kill some vamps and check out the beaches in sunny  
Japan." Buffy grinned happily. "I'm done with English... except for the  
speaking."  
  
"Anyway, back to the Ginzouishou..." Willow changed the subject, "the  
Moon Princess and the Earth Prince are prophecied about many times.  
Supposedly, in the future there's this Crystal Tokyo, and they rule over...  
something... they're a King and Queen... Neo-Queen Serenity--she's the  
most powerful, even more so than her husband--and Neo-King Endymion."  
  
"'Neo'?" Buffy wondered out loud.  
  
"Yeah, as in 'new'," Xander answered from the pictures he was studying  
involving a senshi dressed in red with long, black hair and long legs.  
"In the old days, the Queen of the Moon, Queen Selene, had a daughter  
named Princess Serenity. Once again, no points for originality. The  
Prince of Earth, Prince Endymion, and Princess Serenity fell for each  
other, and after they died in this giant hostile-takeover bit, Queen  
Serenity got pissed off and sent them all into the future, where they  
were re-born. So, they're the 'new' Endymion and Serenity."  
  
Buffy and Willow just looked at him.  
  
"What? Why do you guys always act so surprised when I have knowledge???"  
Xander exclaimed.  
  
"Nevermind, Xander. Nevermind."  
  
*****  
  
Back in Japan, the Sailor Senshi were having a meeting.  
  
"Vampires?!? Are you sure?" Usagi exclaimed, horrified. "Well, I don't   
know what to do!!!"  
  
"I guess it's back to eating garlic every night," Minako sighed, looking  
down at the ground.  
  
"There has _got_ to be a more efficient way of killing vampires than  
Sailor Special Garlic Attack," Ami objected, whipping out her handy  
little pocket computer about the size of a glasses case. She began to  
do computations on the probability of any of their current attacks working,  
but came up a bit short. "It's just not convenient."  
  
"Well," Haruka interrupted, crossing her arms. "We have to do *something*.  
Ami, see what you can come up with."  
  
"I'll try, but I'm not even sure I could..." she trailed off. "Unless..."  
She began tapping frantically at her mini-computer. "Unless I re-  
combinine all the remaining algarithms into one big--" she continued to  
mutter away, a frown of concentration entered upon her face.  
  
"Uh... yeah, Ami. We understand," a confused Makoto burbled out.  
  
After all, who was going to stop the blue-haired girl with the IQ of 300  
from figuring out how to stop evil?  
  
Certainly not any of the bumblers there.  
  
"Ami, I did mention that I got an 80% on my last math test, right?"  
Mako asked nervously.  
  
"Hm?" Ami grunted absently.  
  
"Nevermind," the brown-haired girl sighed, ponytail drooping. "It's  
not... nevermind."  
  
*****  
  
Back on the plane...  
  
Buffy turned around. "Hey, Lunes."  
  
Lun@ raised a hand in a half-hearted guesture of greeting. "Yo."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Nothing much. Hey, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. Buffy,  
these are Mulder and Scully. They've been putting up with me for a while.  
Mulder, Scully, this is Buffy--" *the vampire slayer. From every  
generation there is one sworn to protect the vampires, the demons...  
no, wait, that isn't right...* A smile crept up on her face as she  
realized what she was thinking.  
  
Buffy nodded. "Pleased to meet you," she offered.  
  
"Yeah," Mulder answered, a bit distracted. *Where have I seen that face  
before...?*  
  
Scully gave him a quick glance before responding to Buffy. "Yes. It's  
a pleasure." She shook Buffy's hand.  
  
"So," Lun@ continued, looking at the agents a bit strangely, "did you  
find my research, or is it just a dead end?"  
  
"No, surprisingly, no. Giles and Willow and Xander got what you were  
looking for, I think. I just... we can't see the connection to... can  
we talk about this later?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, of course," Lun@ agreed quickly, dismissing it with one hand.  
"I don't know what I was thinking."  
  
Buffy's head looked down at Willow. "What?" She resurfaced, bringing  
Lun@ a picture. "Willow thinks you should see this now. I don't know  
why..."  
  
The rest of the world disappeared as if she had blinders on. Lun@ froze,  
not sure why it seemed that way, but it felt as if someone had kicked her  
in the gut. Reaching out one hand, the world seemed to freeze as she  
grasped the ancient ink drawing. Bringing the yellowed paper to her,  
she froze as she saw what is was of.  
  
*That face...  
  
*Where have I seen that face before?*  
  
It was a man with short hair and piercing eyes. His battle armor was  
archeic, as to be expected, and a long sword hung from his side. He  
was staring up into the sky impassively, just for the pose. There was  
little in his expression.  
  
Mulder, curious, took a look at the picture and similarly froze. "I've  
seen him before," he blurted out, hardly concious of what he was  
saying.  
  
"Doubtful," Lun@ replied, snapping out of whatever she had been in.  
She passed the picture down. "Thanks, Buff. It's an old sketch from  
the..." the words avoided her. "Uh... Shoot, I know this one..."  
She drummed her fingers impatiently on the armrest and with the other  
hand pushed back a hunk of hair from her eyes. "Oh... dammit."  
  
Mulder handed it to Scully, who frowned. *He was in my dreams...*  
Biting her lip, she passed the picture back. "Never seen it  
before," she told them in a strange tone.  
  
Rubbing her fingers gently over the lines, Lun@ stroked the drawing  
gently. "I don't know..." she admitted. "I just don't know."  
  
*****  
  
A couple hours later, it was time to get off the plane.  
  
"I'm so hungry, I could eat an entire cow!" Xander exclaimed eagerly.  
  
"Whatever happened to never eating anything again?" Willow asked slyly.  
  
"You _listened_ to me during my period of insanity? I would have said  
anything to stop the pain," he joked good-naturedly.  
  
"Of course you would have." Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
"Lets just head for the hotel," Giles suggested, exhausted.  
  
"What's up, Giles?" Jenny asked, worried. "Are you feeling alright?"  
  
*Good lord, another person is airsick,* Lun@ realized with a grimace.  
*Maybe this idea sucked after all.* A vision of people dying flashed  
before her eyes and she stopped that train of thought. *Don't be  
rediculous,* she scolded herself. *What's with you lately? I mean,  
what's with me? I mean, I know what's with me, but why am I acting  
like this? I mean, I know why I'm acting like this, but why...  
why am I holding this conversation with myself? I mean, I know  
why I'm holding the conversation with myself, but...*  
  
*****  
  
They sat in the hotel that night after breaking Angel out of his  
luggage and sat around, planning what to do.  
  
"Just plunge and move on, plunge and move on?" Buffy asked the group,  
eyebrows lifted. "I mean, that seems a bit... random."  
  
"Well, we'll be doing research during the day, of course," Giles assured  
them. "We'll find out what's... ah... 'up'."  
  
The teens exchanged a three-way glance. "Did he just say 'what's up'?"  
Willow asked them.  
  
"I do believe so," Buffy answered, just as shocked.  
  
"Amazing," Xander commented.  
  
Lun@ rolled over, continuing her sleep.  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, in a room over a couple to the right, Scully was finishing  
up her expense report so far on her laptop. Closing the machine up,  
she lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. *Do I really want  
to sleep tonight?*  
  
She did.  
  
And a dream came again. 


	10. Fall Down, Go Boom

Extra Special Author's note: In no way do I mean to underplay the seriousness of high-power explosives... well, perhaps that's a  
lie... but, anyway, don't lose your socks over this and go buy a bomb just because I'm your idol and you want to mimic  
everything I blow up in my fics, okay? Tanks. You're pals, all of ya. Oh, and maybe Frohike and Scully's conversation is a bit...  
unrealistic. Well... no comment.  
  
*****  
  
"I did not!"  
  
--Mulder, "Bad Blood", the X-Files  
  
*****  
  
The day started as any other for the peaceful citizens of Japan.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! I'M LAAAAAAAAAAATE!"  
  
Just like I said: exactly the same.  
  
"OOOOOOH, REI'S GONNA KILL MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Usagi cried as she attempted to put on a shoe and sock at  
the same time. "Wait a minute... if she's already going to kill me... then I should just catch a few more z's and worry about it  
later." She smiled at her own reasoning. "Yeah... later..." Curling up in bed, she snoozed off again.  
  
*****  
  
Buffy huffed and puffed along, Lun@ loping beside her. "Where're we going?" she asked her dog.  
  
Lun@ wagged her grey tail happily. "We're just going to scope out the city today. Get a feel for the terrain. You realize that  
we're not going to be on equal location footing anymore, right? They've been here longer, and they're probably popping out  
vamps as fast as they can, so as to avoid population lows."  
  
Buffy made a face. "You're right." Coming to a long flight of steps, she stopped. "Hey, what's this?"  
  
Lun@ cocked her head. "I think it's a temple. Wanna check it out?"  
  
"I'm game." They began to climb the steps. When the got to the top, they found a beautiful stone building.  
  
"It's a temple, all right," Lun@ commented unneccesarily.  
  
"I wonder if anyone's here?" Buffy murmured, looking around. "It's beautiful."  
  
She heard a voice coming from inside one of the buildings. "USAGI!! YoU'Re lAtE!" A raven-haired girl with stormy brown  
eyes stormed out of the temple wearing a a white and red robe. "What were you THINK... Oh, hello," she chirped when she  
saw Buffy, blushing. "I... uh... thought you were my friend. Can I help you?"  
  
Buffy suddenly realized that she didn't speak any Japanese. The girl looked at her strangely and repeated her question.  
  
Lun@, having no problem with Japanese, realized then that Buffy did. Muttering something small, she cast a language spell on  
Buffy.  
  
Rei looked around. "I sense magic," she murmured.  
  
"Magic?" Buffy asked, looking around. "I don't see any magic."  
  
"I feel a strange force here," Rei murmured, casting a wary eye upon Buffy.  
  
"Uh... I better go," Buffy told the temple priestess.  
  
"It's death magic!" Rei cried, standing up straight in her temple robes. Her long black hair swirled around her and her brown  
eyes flashed. "Don't move! You're a vampire! I know it!"  
  
"Me? Um, actually--" Buffy took a few steps back. Lun@, growling, moved in front of her slayer to protect her.  
  
"Akuryo Taisan!" [Evil Spirit, Begone!] she chanted, whipping out a charm and slamming it onto Buffy.  
  
The slayer, stunned, fell backwards, hitting her head on the top step. She began to bleed.  
  
Lunging forward, Lun@ clamped her teeth onto Rei's robes, missing her leg by a fraction of a second. Growling deep in her  
throat, she tried for flesh again. ThAt WAs A biG MiStaKe, MAgIc GIrL!  
  
"You stupid mutt!" the priestess shrieked, swinging around, the dog coming with her, firmly attached to her robes by the teeth.  
"Let go! I'll kill you! This is my favorite robe!"  
  
Her screaming brought her friends out of the shrine. "Rei, what's going on here?" the tallest one cried, her brown ponytail  
waving.  
  
"Makoto, this dog's trying to kill me! It's not my fault! I was banishing evil... you're the source of that magic I felt, aren't you?"  
she accused the grey mutt, who barked in response before pouncing again.  
  
Ami, craning her neck around the others, saw the figure on the ground and made for it. Lun@, letting go of Rei's robes  
momentarily, snapped a warning at the blue-haired girl: Don't be stupid.  
  
Rei took this moment to whip out another charm. "Akuryo Taisan!" she chanted, slamming it at the small dog in front of her.  
Lun@, now knowing what to expect with the stupid charms, snapped it up in her jaws and shredded it like a dog shreds trash.  
She attacked Rei again, this time latching on higher on the robe and not letting go.  
  
Ami took this chance to examine the blonde laying in front of them. She had the charm still sticking doggedly to her head, but  
she was almost out of the trance. A thin stream of blood trickled from her head.  
  
*****  
  
Buffy blinked. *What's going on?* Sitting up, she peeled the piece of paper off her head and threw it away. *Cute.* Then her  
attention was pulled to the girl in front of her. The one her guardian was attacking. The Shrine girl. "Lun@!" she barked.  
"Excuse me!"  
  
The dog and Rei turned to look at Buffy. They both gave a little smile before Lun@ dropped the cloth and slid to the ground  
with a thump.  
  
"Your dog is magical! She did magic!" Rei cried, pointing at the dog at her feet.  
  
"I did not! Am not magical!" Lun@ shot back. Then she exchanged a glance with Buffy. "Oops. Well, goodbye!" She and her  
friend took off like a shot, giggling at themselves.  
  
*****  
  
Ami looked back after them, pushing a strand of her short, bright blue hair back. "What was that all about?" she asked.  
  
Rei ignored her, turning instead to the two gawkers, Makoto and Minako. "Mako! Minako! You idiots!! Why didn't you help  
me! A crazy dog attacks me, and all you do is STARE???"  
  
"Rei, you attacked the dog's master, didn't you?" Minako accused.  
  
"I... uh... well... there was magic..." Rei stuttered. Retrieving her cool, she cried, "But, that's not the point, is it, slush-for-brains?  
Damn it, sometimes you're worse than Usagi!" Turning in a huff, she stomped away.  
  
The three remaining girls exchanged a glance. "Rei is acting very strange lately," Minako offered. "She loses her temper more  
often."  
  
"Yeah," Makoto agreed, scratching her head. "Maybe she's been having visions again and not telling us."  
  
They looked at Ami, who was staring back in the direction that the two strangers had darted off to. "Wait!" she cried after their  
retreating forms. "Come back!"  
  
But they were gone.  
  
"Ami?" Makoto asked tentatively, walking over to put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
  
Ami reluctantly turned her head back to her friends. "I don't know," she replied absently. "She just seemed... so familiar..." She  
shook her head. "But, ah... what were we talking about?"  
  
It wasn't often that the girl genius lost her train of thought. "Ami, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
The shortest of the group turned her big blue eyes to the others. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? I just... we should wait  
for Usagi. There are some decisions that need to be made about the programs I'm working on to help us with the upgrades we  
need to do as senshi. I've been experimenting on myself with different techniques, and I think that I could probably manage to  
give us a lot more power that can destroy vampires if I can find the key. Usagi has to help me choose what pathways to  
explore, though," she babbled. "It's her duty. She's the princess. We need to wait for her."  
  
Minako and Makoto exchanged a glance. Everyone was acting so weird...  
  
*****  
  
Buffy and Lun@ stopped their mad dash and collasped against a wall, laughing their eyes out. "Did you see the look on her face  
when you talked?" Buffy gasped out. "It was priceless!!"  
  
Lun@ snickered uncontrollably. "And the faces in the background? Of those two girls? I almost lost it right there!"  
  
"LUNA!!" a voice interrupted them. "Get over here right now?"  
  
Buffy exchanged a glance with her guardian. "You?"  
  
"YES, YOU!" the blonde in front of them screeched. Her hair style, a bun on each side of her head with long, golden pigtails  
flowing out, seemed ready to pop.  
  
Lun@ trotted up to her and sat. "Um... yeah?" she asked unbelievingly.  
  
The girl's attention turned to her. "Did you just talk?"  
  
"Uh... woof."  
  
"Luna, come meet this talking dog!" she cried excitedly.  
  
A black cat landed gracefully next to her, holding up her nose delicately. "I don't think she's a talking dog. There's no such  
thing."  
  
"Lun@," Buffy hissed, "that cat's talking."  
  
"No shit," Lun@ hissed back. She turned to the cat. "Are you a Lunar Guardian?"  
  
Luna pulled the other to the side, away from the humans. "You did talk! I should say so! I am Luna from the planet Mau, Lunar  
guardian and protector of Sailor Moon."  
  
"I am... um... Woof." Luna looked away nervously. A talking cat? What was next, a singing pig?  
  
Buffy and the other blonde looked each other over. *She looks like that ancient sketch Lun@ had us look up... it's the  
hairstyle...* "So... nice cat. I noticed she has a bald spot."   
  
"Yeah... uh, birth mark. Strange, isn't it," the other blonde replied just as casually.  
  
Lun@ looked at them both. "Uh... woof."  
  
"Hey, Lunes, what's up?" Buffy asked, as if talking to a stupid dog. "You having a discussion with the kitty?" She turned to the  
other girl across from her. "She's so cute. She thinks she can talk. My name's Buffy." She reached over to shake the other girl's  
hand.  
  
"I'm Usagi!" the other chirped. "Well, I'm going to be late for a meeting if I don't go soon, so..." She made no move to leave.  
  
"Lun@," the cat said quietly, "I've never met a dog guardian before. I didn't even know they existed. I was sure that all the  
Lunar guardians came from the planet Mau."  
  
"I don't know... I just... I've never met another Lunar Guardian before... you'll have to excuse me... I just... I have to go..." She  
could feel the walls and general largeness of the highly commercial area begin to close around her, and she wanted out.  
Suddenly claustrophobic, she darted away at a 90 degree angle to the wall.  
  
A 90 degree angle from the wall just happened to lead straight into the middle of the street, if one ducked under the guard rail  
correctly.  
  
A horn honked.  
  
Lun@ froze as she noticed the truck coming right for her.  
  
The truck passed by quickly, Buffy's eyes wide.  
  
A young man with black hair held the quivering pile of flesh tightly in his arms. "Hey, there, doggy. You almost became a puppy  
pancake." He looked down at her, making sure she was still alive. "You okay...?" He trailed off as their eyes met. A flash of  
lightning shot through them both as his blue eyes met her green. Suddenly, there was no one but those two as they stared at  
each other. A strong sense of deja vu came over them, and Lun@ opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"Mamo!" Usagi cried, attaching herself to the guy, breaking the spell. "That's..."  
  
"That's my dog!" Buffy cried, scooping her up. "Thank you! Lun@, what were you thinking?" She hugged her dog close to her  
chest.  
  
"Lun@?" Mamoru asked, breathing a little hard. "You mean, your dog has the same name as..." he looked at Usagi, "your cat?"  
  
"What a coincidence. Small world," Buffy determined. "Look, it was nice meeting you, Usagi. Maybe I'll see you again, but I  
have to go buy a leash for her. She's such a mutt sometimes! Bye!"  
  
"Bye!" Usagi chirped, waving. "I hope she's okay!"  
  
"She'll be fine!" Buffy called back. Pulling the shaking dog up, she looked at her tiny face. "What did you think you were doing?"  
  
Lun@ blinked. "I don't know... I just ran. I had to get out of there... I couldn't answer the questions... it was too much... I'm  
sorry..."  
  
"Hey, it's okay... you just scared me. Kid, what happened?"  
  
"I just... I don't know. I just... freaked. Don't worry, though. It will not happen again."  
  
Buffy began to walk back to the hotel, cradling Lun@ gently.  
  
"And I'm not a child, thank you very much."  
  
*****  
  
Scully sat at her computer, doing research. Suddenly, a message appeared in her mailbox.  
  
To: D_Scully@fbi.gov.com  
  
From: hot_lips@highspeed.com  
  
Subject: Hey, Gorgeous  
  
Well, hello, my dear Agent Scully. How are you getting along? Are  
you getting all the research you need? Let me  
know if I can do anything.  
  
--Frohike  
  
Scully smiled slightly. It was definitely not a surprise to find that Mulder's informant still had a HUGE crush on her. It was also  
not a surprise that, when given an opportunity, Frohike could be VERY annoying.  
  
Best not to present the opportunity, hum?  
  
  
To: hot_lips@highspeed.com  
  
From: D_Scully@fbi.gov.com  
  
Subject: I'm fine  
  
Frohike, I'm fine. I'm sitting here in the "cozy" Toyko Palace  
finishing my report. Don't you have some conspiracy to  
nose up or something?  
  
She thought for a moment. Was that too cruel? Too... pointed?  
  
Well, it was too late for second thoughts. She sent it.  
  
Almost immediately, she got a reply back.  
  
To: D_Scully@fbi.gov.com  
  
From: hot_lips@highspeed.com  
  
Subject: You're cruel  
  
You wound me with your words.  
  
  
To: hot_lips@highspeed.com  
  
From: D_Scully@fbi.gov.com  
  
Subject: Re:You're cruel  
  
Goodbye, Frohike.  
  
With that, she logged off, sighing.  
  
Frohike was sweet, but a pain. Besides, she didn't need any more excitement in her life than she already had, with Mulder, the  
X-files, her cancer...  
  
Oh, yeah. Her cancer.  
  
She buried her hands in her thick, short red hair. *I can't do it again, she thought to herself with a moan. I can't... it's too  
hard... I just want to live my life in peace... all right, maybe peace is too much to ask, but I just want to LIVE.*  
  
Standing up, she went into the bathroom...  
  
A few minutes later, she flushed the toliet. It made a strange gurgling noise and stopped. She frowned, trying again. Pulling the  
lid off the back, she peered into the tank.  
  
Yep, time to evacuate.  
  
Feeling more than a little silly and panicked, she raced over and banged her fist on the ajoining door. "Mulder! Mulder, there's a  
bomb."  
  
"Huh?" his answering voice rang out faintly.  
  
"There's a bomb, Mulder. In my toilet. We have to evacuate the hotel."  
  
He opened the door. "What's the punchline, Scully?"  
  
She was back in the bathroom by then. "Twenty minutes, 31 seconds, 30, 29, 28, 27--"  
  
He was at her side in an instant. "My god... Scully, did you realize there's a bomb in your toilet?"  
  
She sent him a ferocious glare, the kind he lived to not recieve.  
  
"Sorry." He ran back into his room to grab his wallet and ID badge. "C'mon!"  
  
Scully was already on the phone with the hotel security explaining the situation.  
  
*****  
  
Lun@ stretched her arms back and yawned, staring into space above her. "If we don't go out patrolling soon," she called to the  
ceiling, "I'm going to fall asleep."  
  
"Just a minute," Angel said a bit snarkily, running a hand through his hair. He shifted on the bed beside her. "Buffy's still talking to  
Giles about that piece of paper the priestess smacked on her."  
  
"Don't get that tone with me, young man," Lun@ scolded gently. "And don't treat me like an idiot. I KNOW what she's doing. I  
sent her myself."  
  
"Diab... it's been a long time since someone has called me 'young man'. I'm two hundred and--"  
  
"Change," she dismissed. "Pennies. Mere pennies. Two hundred doesn't count you as old. My god, I'm over two thousand, and  
look at me! I'm in the prime of my life!" She turned to him. "Do I look old to you?"  
  
He shifted onto his side and seriously searched her face. "Not really," he finally decided with a little smile. "You look just right."  
  
"Thanks. Namesake--"  
  
"Give it up, Diab."  
  
"But you are, Ang. I mean, your parents named you after what I was. What I am. And, the fact that you looked at me with such  
cute little eyes."  
  
"They were the same size then as they are now."  
  
"But, they looked smaller." The conversation had taken on a teasing tone.  
  
"Maybe you were just bigger."  
  
"Yeah. Someone stuck me in the dryer."  
  
"You must be made of cotton."  
  
"That means I breathe." She huffed in and out a few times. "Works for me."  
  
There was a pause. "What's it like to breathe again?" Angel finally asked, a tinge of sadness in his voice.  
  
"Wonderful." She sighed, simply enjoying the feeling of air rushing out of her lungs. "I finally know what it's like to be both  
breathless and air sufficient." Then, in a tiny voice, "I wonder what my life was like."  
  
"Diab, as long as you're sentinent you're alive. Even if you're undead." He stroked her hair, an almost brotherly gesture.  
  
"I guess you're right," she admitted. "Hey, would that make me undead, or un-undead?"  
  
He chuckled. "Your guess is as good as--"  
  
Buffy burst into the room. "You guys, we gotta get outta here!"  
  
They looked at her in unison. "Finally ready to go kick some vampire butt?"  
  
"There's a bomb!"  
  
Buffy and Angel were a flurry of activity, gathering up all important-can't-save-the-world-without-it objects and practically flew  
out of there, Lun@ hovering and jabbering unhelpfully all the while. "A BOMB? REally? Wow! I've never actually seen a bomb  
go off before, I've just cleaned up the bodies afterwords... How close do you think they'll let us stand? Will we be able to  
watch? I don't care what they say, I'm watching. I'll be careful. What?"  
  
"You're really psycho-doggie today, aren't you?" Buffy cried, her voice dry with sarcasm and wonder. She shoved a bunch of  
things into her Guardian's empty arms.  
  
"Drop dead," Lun@ snapped cheekily, taking the steps two at a time and shoving all the small objects she was carrying into the  
pockets of her jeans.  
  
They reached the ground level just in time to rush behind the police barriers. "Get everyone else out of there!" a policeman  
cried.  
  
To Lun@'s dismay, they were shepherded to the back of the crowd. She pouted. "This view sucks."  
  
Giles and the others rushed up to them. "Oh," he cried Britishly, "thank goodness you're alright. There was a bomb threat called  
in, and I had to leave... what are you carrying?"  
  
"Just a few things that you couldn't live without, Giles. Hey, you can thank us later," Buffy told him, patting his shoulder with her  
free hand.  
  
"Yes... well, luckily we moved the weapons and research books to the lab we'll be working at."  
  
"It's really cool," Willow threw in. "They've got lotsa books 'n' stuff 'n' computers 'n'... stuff to play with."  
  
"Willow," Calendar scolded gently, "witchcraft isn't a game."  
  
"I know..."  
  
*****  
  
Inside the building, the bomb expert stared at the bomb nervously. He had cut a wire, but determining which to cut next was the  
biggest decision of his life, and the seconds were quickly ticking by.  
  
3... 2... 1...  
  
He snipped a wire. Hopefully, that would do it.  
  
A little flag popped up out of the bomb. The message on it read "Boom."  
  
He stared for a moment. "Huh?"  
  
And then, the world exploded around him.  
  
  
  
The force of the blow was deafening, and Rei suddenly knew she was right to come out for a walk. Running up, she rounded  
the corner just in time to see the ruins of the Tokyo Palace burst out into flames.  
  
A couple hundred people were milling about outside the building, looking lost without the security of the standing building. Her  
brown eyes were immediately pulled to the girl she had charmed earlier that day. She was standing next to an old guy, a couple  
teens, a young woman, and--hello!--a cut guy.  
  
He's so dreamy...  
  
The little punchbag-sized dog was no where to be seen.  
  
Maybe he was in the building when it blew... Rei felt a small smile stretching across her face. She walked up to the group and  
offered her smile of apology.  
  
"Hello, everyone! I see your hotel blew up. That must have been terrible."  
  
There was an exchanging of confused glances between most of the group. The blonde girl's eyes hardened, though, and the  
dark-haired teenage girl was quick to jump to her feet and stand next to her friend. "Yes, it was," she replied in perfect, though  
suspicious, Japanese.  
  
Suddenly, a thought seemed to occur to her. She turned around and Rei thought she heard the mumbling of a spell.  
  
A shiver made its way up her spine. Yep, definitely magic. "Hey, what do you think you're DOING??" she yelled, reaching out  
for the girl.  
  
The blonde stepped in her way. "What do you want?" Her voice was cold and hard. The Japanese was also perfect.  
  
Rei heedlessly pushed the small teen out of her way to see to the even shorter one behind her. The spell was just finishing up  
when Rei grabbed her. "You shouldn't mess with magic you don't understand!" she hissed.  
  
Lun@ blinked blankly. "I was practicing conjugating Latin verbs."  
  
The way she said it, she was so damn convincing that Rei had to agree. She obviously has no idea what she's talking about...  
I was probably mistaken... Latin verbs...? Well, I guess it could be...  
  
"Miss? Are you alright?" the small girl asked a bit anxiously.  
  
"Oh... Heh, heh, heh!" Rei laughed a bit sheepishly. "Uh... sorry about that."  
  
"That's quite alright," Lun@ responded with a touch of humor in her voice. "Allow me to introduce you to my friends. This is  
Buffy Summers--"  
  
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Rei cried, oblivious to the racket she was making.  
  
"OH, so you've heard of her," the teenaged boy remarked.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't usually tell everyone!" she hissed.  
  
Lun@ snorted.  
  
"How did you know that?" Buffy demanded. Please, I don't need another Angel, please, not another one...  
  
"I had dreams..." Rei said, a far-off look in her eyes. "But, ah... I guess you guys'll be needing a place to stay, huh? You can  
stay at my temple, with me and my grandfather, I guess... We have a few spare rooms since Chad left..."  
  
Giles and Jenny exchanged a glance. "Rupert, what do you think?" Jenny asked him.  
  
"I think we can trust her," Buffy put in.  
  
"Of course we can," Lun@ agreed.  
  
"Oh, you're the one that hit Buffy with that spell earlier! Can you show me how to do that charm thing?" Willow asked Rei  
eagerly.  
  
"What language am I speaking?" Xander moaned to anyone who would listen.  
  
Angel simply looked on with silent laughter.  
  
"I can't teach you the chant! You're not a priestess!" Rei protested.  
  
"You weren't who I was asking!" Jenny informed Buffy.  
  
"But, my opinion counts!" Buffy cried.  
  
"Japanese, Xander," Lun@ murmured. "We are in Japan, you know. Tokyo."  
  
"I don't believe I'm having this conversation," Ms. Calendar snapped.  
  
"You and me both," Buffy agreed.  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm going to be a witch!" Willow suggested. "Will that help?"  
  
"I remember where we are!" Xander grumbled. "I'm not stupid."  
  
"Your test scores beg to differ," Lun@ shot back.  
  
"So I don't test well," Xander cried. "So what?"  
  
What a group, Angel thought to himself, a smile gracing his usually sad features. We must look mighty strange.  
  
Miss Calendar and Giles conferred for a moment amidst the clash of voices and finally reached the same conclusion Buffy had.  
  
"If you will take us in, we would be delighted to stay in your temple," Giles told the overwhelmed preistess.  
  
"Good." Rei looked around. This felt right. There's something missing, though... Scanning the area, she caught sight of a short  
red-head holding an intense conversation with a tall, dark and handsome man. In her usual manner, she marched right up to  
them and tapped one of them on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but I don't suppose you happen to be looking for a place to stay..."  
  
The two exchanged a glance. 


	11. Cancer of the Heart

Hey!  
  
Don't own any of 'em, prob'ly never will.  
  
Don't sue.  
  
Not making money.  
  
Don't cop it off and sell it as your own.  
  
Don't kill anyone.  
  
Sorry, didn't mean to preach. Heh, heh.  
  
  
This part is short. Sorry, but it had to happen and I had little to  
say. Hey, don't complain. I was hit by a blessing from the Muse  
of Writing at the end, so it could have been a lot shorter! ::g::  
  
*****  
  
Chickety China, the Chinese chicken  
Have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'  
Watchin "X-Files" with no lights on  
We're dans la maison  
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one.  
  
--"One Week", Barenaked Ladies  
  
*****  
  
  
By the time they reached the temple, they almost sagged in relief.  
  
"Man," Xander groaned, unloading his armful of weapons, "I _was not_ made to carry this! This is why my domain is in the library." At the influx of skeptical glances, he grew defensive. "Not that I don't mind  
kicking some butt now and then."  
  
Mulder looked up in interest. "Why _are_ you carrying all those...  
weapons... anyway?"  
  
Buffy and Giles exchanged a glance. "Oh, G--Mr. Giles is a real history  
buff," she explained rapidly. "He _loves_ his history."  
  
"We all do," Willow agreed. "We're real historians."  
  
"Really?" Mulder asked, trying the waters. "I've always been a lover  
of history, myself."  
  
"Have you..." Jenny Calendar murmured, checking out his features.  
  
*Oh, shit,* Scully thought.  
  
*Oh, damn,* echoed Giles' thoughts.  
  
"Yes. I find many of the ancient rituals facinating..." the two began  
to talk, leaving a _very_ miffed FBI agent and librarian to glower in  
their direction.  
  
*****  
  
Rei watched the assorted group from a few feet away, wondering why she  
had been compelled to invite them to stay at the temple. She was pretty  
sure Grandpa wouldn't mind; he would probably, infact, welcome the odd  
group of people. Especially the girls. She grimaced and made a  
mental note to warn them about him and his facination with the young  
female human body.  
  
Other thoughts also filled her mind. *I sense evil,* was one of the  
prevading ones. *Someone here is undead.* After many moments of  
deliberation, she finally decided that it was Mr. Strong and Silent. It  
had to be. But, if he was, the Slayer should know. The Slayer would  
_have_ to know.  
  
The Slayer would have killed him.  
  
The Slayer.  
  
Yet another point of discussion in her mind. She had had many visions  
about the Slayer lately. She was surprised with herself that she hadn't  
recognized her on their first meeting, not that she would admit that  
to anyone. Rei was anything if not strong. And always right, of  
course.  
  
Their meeting.  
  
Where _was_ that damnable dog?? The way it had hovered protectively  
around Buffy made her think that it wouldn't be likely to simply  
step out of the way. And the way the dog had _talked_... Well, she  
was glad that Luna and Usagi had stopped by later and explained that,  
or none of this would have made any sense to her. *Still... another  
Lunar Guardian? A _canine_ Lunar Guardian?*  
  
And those FBI agents. What had _possessed_ her to invite them to stay  
at her temple? Even though that Agent Mulder guy _was_ kinda cute...  
But that Agent Scully was a witch. At first, their Japanese had been  
clumsy, awkward, but now it was flawless. And, right before they began  
to speak perfectly, she had felt that creepiness of death magic playing  
a song on her spine.  
  
Erg.  
  
She shook her head. This kind of thinking wasn't going to get her  
anywhere tonight. With her strong confidence, she marched up to Buffy  
and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry about attacking  
you before," she started. "I was just... testing you."  
  
Buffy's eyes conveyed her skepticism. "Sure you were."  
  
"What, you don't believe me?!?"  
  
"Of course I do," she smoothed over. "People test me everyday."  
Unconciously, she through an eye in Lun@'s direction. *Some more  
than others... and in more ways than one...*  
  
"Good. Hey, where'd that _cute_ little dog of yours go? I saved  
a Milkbone for him..." Rei's voice was faker that she meant it to be.  
  
*Milkbones. Ugh. I _hate_ milkbones. Ever since the brownout...*  
Lun@ shivered and walked away, trusting her Slayer to field the  
question. "Hey, Mr. Giles, could you please explain the Dewy-Decimal  
System to me again? I think I might be understanding it..."   
  
Giles' insides groaned at the topic. *She understands the blasted  
system just fine. She just likes to play the "what-if" game. I  
hate that damnable game,* he thought bitterly, a muscle in his  
stomach clenching in time with the twitching in his jaw.  
  
They began discussing it, though, and eventually the conversation  
evolved into something _much_ more interesting to both parties about  
the technicalities of the Mayan Sun Worship rituals.  
  
*****  
  
Scully felt the intense need to distance herself from this crowd  
of lunatics. Each one was utterly inapproachable. Even Mulder  
was acting like he was in a UFO convention, chatting up the  
babe with the 'do happily.  
  
It was enough to make her puke.  
  
Actually, the queesiness in her stomach was enough to make  
her puke. The drugs her doctor had prescribed her to suppress  
the symptoms of her illness had a slightly disorienting effect.  
  
Excusing herself to a room that her host had pointed out, Scully  
allowed herself to fall asleep.  
  
*But no dreams tonight,* she told her brain strictly, permitting  
her eyelids to droop and cover her baby blue eyes. *None of this  
nonsense, please.*  
  
And with that, she slept.  
  
*****  
  
It was about an hour before anyone missed her. Mulder, still  
keyed up from the explosion, turned to verify a fact from his  
walking Sarcastic Encyclopedia of the Unbelievers when he  
realized that she wasn't there. "Scully?" he called, looking  
around. "Has anyone seen Scully?"  
  
"She was muttering something about flight times to Australia,  
I think," Lun@ volunteered sleepily. "Maybe she had a flight  
to catch."  
  
Mulder turned his head to look at her. "WHAT?"  
  
"She went to bed."  
  
"Oh." He continued to look at her distrustfully. "I guess I'll  
turn in, too." Following the Priestess' directions, he went  
into the temple.  
  
Buffy looked at her Guardian. "Earth to Lun@, come in Lun@!  
He's a Fed! Do you have some kinda death wish or something?"  
  
"No, just trying to have fun. Don't I have nine lives or something?"  
  
"That's a cat."  
  
"Oh. Oops."  
  
*****  
  
SOMEWHERE, BETWEEN TIME, BETWEEN POINT A AND B, BETWEEN HERE AND  
WHERE YOU ARE...  
  
  
The dark energy flowed over, twisting, shouting, hurling itself  
around, creating a pocket.  
  
In this pocket, the Ancients were born.  
  
They were woven out of hate and sewn with threads of despair, anger,  
jealousy, and pleasure. Four of the Ancients, twined with power,  
stirred, became stronger, became more than the others.  
  
These four had a mission. They had to find their Queen.  
  
They had searched the Universe and finally concluded that Earth, by  
far, had the greatest possibility of harboring the Queen. So,  
with delicate precision, they infiltrated the planet, searching.  
  
Finally, they found her! With unimaginable delight, the Four  
Ancients began to move towards her, calling for their leader,  
calling for their blessed one.  
  
But then, SHE got in the way.  
  
SHE had a way of doing that. Her brilliance, her luminescence, her  
_pureness_ blinded the Four, causing them to turn their  
heads from their prize, to back away, to scream in agony.  
  
She hadn't even been aiming her magnificience at them.  
  
And then, their Queen, their passion, their truth, burst in a  
brilliance of purple light, died before their eyes.  
  
"MISTRESS 9!!!!!!!!" they cried out, tears coursing down their cheeks.  
"NOOO!!" But, alas, their Queen was no more.  
  
With careful deliberation, they began to discuss the matter. What  
was to be done? What should happen now?  
  
Then, one had an idea. She had always been the brightest of the  
four, and her ideas had great sway on how the group decided.  
  
"We must find a new Queen."  
  
The thought was spoken, clear and straight, and agreement was  
unanimous. A new Queen must be found.  
  
This Queen must be stronger.  
  
This Queen must be greater in magnificence.  
  
This Queen must be shielded from HER, the white one.  
  
They searched.  
  
It was a long and tedious process, carefully picking over every one  
of the inhabitants of the planet, only to choose one to hold their  
mission of darkness.  
  
Finally, they found her. The perfect one. Except for one problem.  
  
It wasn't a her.  
  
Once again, there was deliberation. Could their champion be a King?  
  
A definite "No".  
  
But, could their Queen be of the male gender?  
  
That was a more delicate question. "Queen" did have female  
connotations, but those were simply connotations, and connotations  
could be dealt with in harsh and unspeakable manners.  
  
Once again, the Four were in agreement. He was to be their Queen.  
  
They approached him lightly, delicately. One so devious was not  
to be trifled with in a meaningless manner. Finally, so wound  
was he in their lies, so trapped in their evil, so disgraced  
with their blackness, that he had no choice but to cave to them  
and their wishes, to become ruler of their dark empire.  
  
And, the Four were pleased.  
  
And, if the Four were pleased, the Ancients were pleased.  
  
There was much general happiness in the Pocket Outside the Universe.  
  
  
The Queen surveyed his loyal subjects. A stream of smoke curled  
around his head, and the cigarette he was holding obediently burned  
back, exposing the delicate, mind-altering chemicals for his  
inhalation. The Four pleased him. They were true and loyal.  
  
The withered man lifted his cigarette to his tired lips and puffed  
on it mindlessly, contemplating what had to be done.  
  
There was much to do.  
  
The White One. He frowned slightly. The Four kept telling him about  
HER and HER awful, white goodness. Just as they were pure hate, SHE  
was pure love. The legend sounded familiar to him, and he began  
to contemplate his options for destroying such a creature. He  
couldn't turn HER to their side.  
  
To change such a goodness would be to destroy it.  
  
A shame to destroy such power, though. He picked up another Morely's  
and one of the Four rose to his side to light it for him.  
  
Shame would not change what must be done.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A few cultural notes:  
  
Mistress 9, the Ancients origional Queen, was an entity that possessed  
Sailor Saturn. And, since Sailor Saturn is a character in the  
series "Sailor Moon", can we make an intelligent guess at who SHE, the  
White One, is?  
  
Oh, and for those of you who figured out that the Queen is the  
Cigarette Smoking Man, the main bad guy from the X-files, you  
deserve a pat on the back. You'd make a rocking detective!  
(Or not. Whatever.)  



	12. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

Disclaimer: I do not own them! Stop asking me!  
  
Author's notes: What, I have to have something to say? Okay, okay,  
I'll spit something out. This episode of "As the Slayer Messes Up"  
is brought to you by Angel, storyteller extrodinaire. In fact,  
his narrative opens and closes this little piece of fiction  
(so, in case you were wondering, no, I _don't_ insert myself  
into this story. Often). So, sit tight, relax, and have  
some popcorn or something. You look hungry.  
  
A BIG THANKS TO: My Kitten, who's going to regret that she ever  
started writing to me... No, I'm not chuckling evily, why do you  
ask? Kitt's been a real chock full of inspiration and encouragement.  
And no, smartass, that's not sarcasm. THIS is sarcasm, oh Brighteyes.  
  
  
*****  
  
"You fight with passion, my friend. It's too bad you have no skill."  
  
--Joxer, "For Whom the Bell Tolls", _Xena_  
  
*****  
  
The day started as any other. Of course, if I had seen the future,  
if I could have seen what Buffy would do, I would have stopped her.  
I would have locked her up, knocked her out, whatever. Begged,  
conjoled, used the little pouty eye trick, the one I swore I'd  
never use again...  
  
But, she's just got a hard head. She _had_ to issue that challenge.  
And Diab, she's got a streak so stubborn she could out-buzz a  
bee, just to prove that she could.  
  
I should have seen it coming.  
  
They had been getting along together so well--despite obvious  
personality and interest clashes--that it should have happened  
sooner. The conditions were right, the timing was right...  
by all the laws of physics and nature, both human and not,  
it should have.  
  
I figure that it must have been the pressure and the introduction to  
the new scene that set them off. Buffy should have recognized the  
glint in Diab's eye. Diab should have gone easier on her.  
  
I understand that Diab was going through something, but it's very  
unprofessional of her to let it seep into her work. A bad day is no  
excuse to be as childish as she was. But, maybe she knew what she  
was doing. Maybe this result was her goal...  
  
This is stupid. They're letting their egos rule. If they were  
guys, people would say they had left their brains in their pants.  
  
I can pinpoint the exact moment when I lost hope...  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Earlier that day~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"We will begin the training with lightweight, rag-tipped ends. You  
will wear padding--_all_ the padding--that I require you to. From  
there, you will be allowed to practice with the oak staff, but only  
with padding on the tips. You will carry a staff with you when you  
fight vampires with pointy ends. After I deem you 'good' enough, we  
will slowly begin to use less and less padding. Understood?"  
  
Buffy's expression was indignant and insulted, cheeks burning  
with the humiliation of the babying. "This is rediculous!"  
she exclaimed, a frown settling over her features. Her eyes narrowed.  
"I'm beyond the staff! I don't need to work on this! Giles lets me  
use crossbows!"  
  
Lun@ snorted. "Crossbows are a whole 'nother chicken. I hate them.  
I very much dislike automatic weapons."  
  
"They make your life easier!"  
  
"They make it more complicated!"  
  
"How difficult could it be?" Buffy cried, rolling her eyes. "Pointy  
end goes in--here." She pointed.  
  
"Oh, no shit?" Lun@ responded. "Well, crossbows are a bitch to use.  
They're clunky and big."  
  
"So's a staff," the slayer pointed out.  
  
"But a staff is always ready for use. Even if you break it, you can  
still use the pieces. Besides, there's no reloading with a staff.  
Just aim and hit. Oh, and the pointy end still goes--here. It's just  
a lot bigger. Put on the padding."  
  
"I don't need it."  
  
"Yes, you do. You need to get used to moving with it on."  
  
"I'm not going to spar with it on. I'll be fine."  
  
"Put it on. Pick up the light staff. Meet me out back in fifteen  
minutes." That was not the tone of one who was used to being disobeyed.  
  
Buffy's lip tightened as she watched her Gaurdian leave. Pausing, she  
made her decision.  
  
She picked up the heavy, oak staff and walked out back, strolling at  
a leisurely pace. Hell, she knew what she was ready for, didn't she?  
  
As she rounded the corner, she saw her Guardian practicing with  
one of the cheap bamboo staffs. Lun@ was very fluid in her movements,  
all of which were very simple. Buffy, spotting Lun@'s sandles  
placed neatly on the ground, removed hers as well and set them next  
to Lun@'s.  
  
Lun@ continued her Form rythmically. It entranced Buffy, all those  
movements put together to make one, like a singer singing a complicated  
but smooth scale pattern, but she had no use for them. *In fighting,*  
she reasoned, *everything is spontaneous. You can't plan your fights  
down to the letter. Certain combos, certainly, but not anything  
that you could use this routine on.*  
  
After ten minutes, Lun@ finally ended her imaginary battle with  
her imaginary opponents. Opening her eyes, she noticed Buffy  
with a hint of surprise and a question in her green eyes.  
"You won't be needing that one, you'll be needing the bamboo pole."  
  
"I know how to use a quarterstaff! Besides, who am I going to be  
fighting, Friar Tuck???"  
  
"He's a fictional character. And you need to prove you can use one.  
You've had no formal training, right? No one has, nowadays. He  
lets you get away with sloppy things, doesn't he? Giles, I mean."  
  
"Giles is a _good_ teacher," Buffy protested.  
  
"You mean 'easy'. It's a blowoff class. Don't give me that look,"  
Lun@ snapped, "I've seen your sessions. They're lacking in something  
called skill."  
  
*****  
  
Angel looked out from the temple, careful to stay indoors. What was  
Buffy thinking?!? He had warned her about Lun@'s vindictiveness...  
hadn't he?  
  
He continued to watch them bicker, with increasing alarm.  
  
*My god, Buffy, fighting is the thing Diab excells at... don't  
challenge her knowledge of weapons!! Would you tell Giles  
he's researching something wrong? Shit, she probably would...*  
He paced back and forth, like a caged beast, watching out the back door.  
*Buff, you're asking for it... Please, one of you, back down! ...Oh,  
yeah, right, that'll happen.*  
  
Then he heard the words he really didn't want to hear:  
  
"Fine, you think you're so hot? Then, I challenge you to a sparring  
match!"  
  
"Good! If I win, you let me train you."  
  
"And, if I win, we move on to something more useful!"  
  
"This _is_ useful!"  
  
"You'll teach what _I_ want to learn," Buffy amended.  
  
"The student doesn't direct the teacher!"  
  
"Well, maybe the student doesn't want to be taught!"  
  
"Maybe the student _better_ be taught, to save her careless life!"  
  
"You think my life is careless?!?"  
  
"You wanted your duel? Well, you're going to get it. One member  
picks location, the other picks weapon. Your choice."  
  
"I'll pick weapon."  
  
"Good. We fight to the unconciousness."  
  
"I don't think--"  
  
"We're both mature fighters. We can take it. You knock me  
unconcious, and I'll survive. I knock you, I'll heal you up. You  
won't even have a headache."  
  
"But, you--"  
  
"I'm newly alive, remember? I wouldn't do anything to damage my new  
status as the living undead. Knocking me out will test my immune  
system. Give it a work out."  
  
Suddenly, there was a suspicious tone in Buffy's voice. "How do I  
know that you _can_ be knocked out? Maybe you aren't alive."  
  
"You think I'm lying?!?"  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time."  
  
"I swear on the grave of my parents that I'm not lying."  
  
"Great."  
  
Their scene had gathered quite a crowd now, and everyone was murmuring  
uneasily.  
  
"We'll meet back here in fifteen minutes," Lun@ said stiffly.  
  
"Fine. I'll bring the weapons," Buffy responded.  
  
Xander cried, "Hey, you two, let's be reasonable!"  
  
Giles restrained him. "It's time for them to work out their  
dominance issues," he told him gently.  
  
Buffy and Lun@ shook hands, after which Buffy turned to Giles  
and reprimanded him for his comment. "I hate being referred to  
as if I'm an animal."  
  
"Oh. Sorry."  
  
*****  
  
Angel paced back and forth liked a caged tiger, growling a little.  
  
"Easy there," Buffy reprimanded him. "You're going to wear out  
the floorboards, and then you have to explain to the Priestess  
why there's a hole next to her Sacred Fire."  
  
"This is stupid!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "She  
shouldn't be accepting a duel from her charge! She's supposed  
to protect you, not kill you!" The sacred fire crackled.  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Buffy responded dryly.  
  
Giles sighed from his seat by the door. "Buffy... do you really  
feel it necessary to trade blows with your Guardian Angel?"  
  
"Yes." She turned to her boyfriend. "Angel, I know you don't like  
this, but please, can't you support me?"  
  
He was torn. *Who do I root for, my best friend or my Buffy?*  
He closed his eyes, stopped his pacing, and made his decision.  
"She hits high and leaves her bottom half open to attacks. Watch  
out for her fakes and combos. Sometimes you can't tell them apart."  
  
Buffy smiled, realizing what this meant to him. "Thanks." Giving  
him a little kiss, she picked up two of the oak staffs and strolled  
out back with them.  
  
Giles remained seated by the door. "That was kind of you," he  
said quietly, polishing his glasses.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"You lied?"  
  
"No."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"At least now she'll get her formal training."  
  
Angel grunted.  
  
Giles looked up. "Tea?"  
  
*****  
  
She was totally centered. Absolutely, totally, undeniably centered.  
Opening her eyes, she blinked at the blonde in front of her.  
  
Not who she was expecting to see.  
  
She suddenly snapped back to the present. "Buffy."  
  
"Lun@."  
  
"Weapons?"  
  
Buffy threw her a staff. "Location?"  
  
Lun@ caught it and leaned it against her shoulder. It easily  
stood taller than her. "Here. Now."  
  
Buffy barely glanced at the crowd around them. "Let's get it on."  
  
Rei came forward seriously. "You two be careful. Fight by the  
rules. No ear biting. Once the other person is down for the count,  
that's it. It's over. No magic, either, got it?"  
  
Both fighters nodded.  
  
"All right, then... begin!"  
  
Buffy and Lun@ bowed to each other. Angel thought he saw Lun@ wink.  
  
*This is it...* he realized with dawning horror. His uneasiness  
slowly gave way to the underlying dread that had been filling  
his soul. *Buffy's going to go down.*  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Later Again~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"It was too easy," she murmurs, sipping a cup of Giles' tea.  
  
I shoot her a _look_. "There's no need to gloat."  
  
Her eyes widen in surprise. "Was I gloating?"  
  
"A bit."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
A miniscule shrug. I can feel it on my shoulders. "Really,  
though, was that last blow absolutely necessary?"  
  
"Prob'ly not," she admits.  
  
That's Diabolique for you. She'd probably be casual towards her  
captors if she was being tortured. She likes that air of  
indifference, the one that says, "do whatever you like, 'cause  
I don't give a damn either way."  
  
"How can you be so calm about this?" I demand.  
  
"I have to be," she murmurs into her tea, eyes downcast. "I can't  
let myself think about the fact that I just beat my charge to a  
bloody pulp. I feel... dirty." Her mask has slipped for just  
a moment. "The others will hate me."  
  
And they will. In time, forgiveness will occur, but not now.  
And Xander will never completely trust her again. Xander,  
the boy who used to worship the ground she walked on, will now  
mistrust her until the end of time. How can she stand  
knowing she's on everyone's hit list? I asked her once.  
  
"It's a dirty job," she replied with a small, smug smile, "but  
somebody's gotta do it. I'm doing them a favor; it could be them  
stuck with this job."  
  
I don't buy it; not entirely, anyway. Diab is lonely. I know  
she is. I'm her only real friend. She's used to the lonliness  
now, though; I'm not sure she knows how to make friends anymore,  
or what to do with them if any _did_ appear.  
  
Giles places a hand on her shoulder. "Lun@."  
  
She raises her head to look at his chin. "Giles?"  
  
"More tea?"  
  
There is a hint of shyness in her eyes as she extends her  
nearly-empty cup to be refilled. "Thanks, Giles."  
  
She isn't thanking him for the tea, and he knows it.  
  
"You did what you had to. There's no reason to beat yourself  
up about it." He pats her head. "She'll be back to herself  
tommorrow."  
  
"Yes." She blows at her steaming cup half-heartedly. "I know."  
  
Buffy stirs on the cot, and my attention is drawn away from  
Diab. "Buffy." It sounds a little desperate, even to my ears.  
  
"Angel." She rolls over onto her side to face me. "Hey." There  
is a pause. "I didn't win, did I?"  
  
I shake my head. "You gave her a hell of a shiner, though."  
  
"Great. So, I guess that means I'll be going back to the basics."  
  
"Even the masters go back to the basics."  
  
"You're sweet. I suppose I should face the music." She sighs  
and sits up. Sure enough, all the bruises had been healed by  
the magical sign Lun@ had done before. "Where's Lun@?"  
  
I turn around. "She was right..." But she's gone. "She  
probably just stepped out for a moment."  
  
"How long've I been out?" She rubs her head a little and streches.  
  
"A little over 3 hours."  
  
"Wow." She bites her lip glumly. "I really thought I'd win. Thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For not saying 'I told you so'."  
  
I just hug her.  
  
*****  
  
When the sun had finished setting and Lun@ still hadn't returned  
to the room, I slipped out to look for her. She was sitting out  
on the temple steps, huddled into a ball, alone.  
  
She needs someone with her right now, I thought to myself.  
Someone needs to go out there and talk to her.  
  
But I couldn't. And neither could anyone else there.  
  
So, I turned around and went back in to nurse Buffy's wounded ego. 


	13. The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

Disclaimer: What, haven't you stopped asking by now? I don't own  
them. I probably never will. I blame it on my bad karma.  
  
Author's note: As promised, more on Mulder and Scully. Oh, and  
just so everyone knows, this part takes place the same day as the last  
part.  
  
A BIG THANKS TO: Kitten. What would I do without her? Probably have  
HUGE holes in my plot.  
  
*****  
  
After I cook the vegetables, what do I do with the wheelchairs?  
  
*****  
  
Silence.  
  
Silence.  
  
Rasp.  
  
Silence  
  
Gasp.  
  
Gasp.  
  
Gasp.  
  
Thump.  
  
Thump.  
  
Th-thump.  
  
Th-thump.  
  
A heart reborn; restarted.  
  
*****  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" The screech reached an inhuman intensity,  
paining those close in the temple. "ARRGGGGGGGGGGHHH!!!"  
  
"Lun@...?" Willow asked hesitantly, knocking on the bathroom door.  
  
It flew open under the red-head's fist and a dark-haired demon flew  
out, long hair whirling behind her. "I can't believe it!" she yelled,  
sharing her anger with the entire temple. "This is utterly  
impossible!! This is not happening!! This is a bad dream!!!"  
  
"What's going on?" Xander yelped, running into the room and sliding on  
his socks into the dresser. With a whimper, he clutched his elbow.  
  
The banshee known as Lun@ ignored him. "They made me alive, Buffy!  
They actually, physically..." She let out a string of cusses that  
would make a sailor weep with envy.  
  
"How do you... I thought it was fake. I thought the point was to make  
you look real...?" Buffy tried to follow the frenzied movements of  
her Guardian Angel, who was storming through her roommates luggage.  
  
"Well, they--" a string of cusses in a few other languages, followed  
by the cursing of a few dozen *very* high deities was inserted,  
"--did it! How dare they!" Pulling a small, pink plastic wrapped  
rectangle out of the current bag she was rooting through, she  
stomped back into the bathroom and slammed the door.  
  
Buffy and Willow exchanged a glance. "You okay, Lun@?"  
  
"I'm menstruating!! What do you think!!"  
  
"Too much information..." Xander mumbled, clutching his hurt elbow  
and wandering out of the room.  
  
"But you're dead." Willow twisted a lock of her short hair.  
  
"Obviously not, though I happen to remember being exactly that  
yesterday. Happily dead, in fact. I remember thinking just yesterday,  
'Boy it's sure nice to be dead.'" The bathroom door swung open again,  
revealing an extremely disgruntled Guardian Angel.  
  
"No one ever said life was fair," Jenny remarked reasonably from the  
corner of the room, a Wicca book laid out in front of her.  
  
"Not true. I remember very clearly at least eight people telling me  
in the last thousand years that life was fair." At Ms. Calendar's  
skeptical look, she continued, missing Buffy and Willow's second  
exchange of glances. "One of them put it this way: 'Life, you will  
find, is fair'. Although..." she began speculatively, "strangely  
enough, they all died before the age of 21..." She rubbed her  
abdomen gently, face contorted into something scary.  
  
Willow and Buffy backed up a few steps. "Lun@, you gonna be okay?"  
  
"I've got a cramp the size of China. My God, I can't believe this is  
happening. This is horrible!!" Accepting the Midol Willow handed her  
with a nod of thanks, she swept out of the room and flopped down on the  
temple steps to brood.  
  
*****  
  
Scully straightened her suit self-consciously. It was a little  
wrinkled, but it would have to do. Exiting the room that Rei had so  
kindly let her use to dress in that morning, she spotted a very  
depressed-looking Lun@ moping on the steps. "You okay?" she inquired,  
a bit distressed when she remembered the wailing that had been going  
on moments before.  
  
"Je ne c'est pas." I don't know. The girl shook her head, using  
French as a ducking device from answering questions.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
"I've just got some serious hormonal problems going on. Nothing too  
big. I'll just be a bit mercurial for a while, until my meds kick  
in. How 'bout you? You're a little subdued."  
  
There was a pause between the two.  
  
"I had a dream last night," Scully murmured finally. "A bad one."  
  
Lun@ began to look interested, despite herself. "About what?"  
  
Another pause filled the air. "I was running," Scully answered  
finally in a quiet tone. "I was with someone. Someone I trusted.  
Someone I... loved. I was... we were... trying to save these...  
warrior people. The person next to me was... very familiar. I  
think I know him."  
  
"A dream?"  
  
"It was like a memory." Scully shook her head, her short, red  
hair swinging slightly. "It's not, though. It has to be a dream."  
  
"Images stuck in your mind?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Like gum on a desk."  
  
"Yeah. And certain sounds keep playing over and over."  
  
"Not like a broken record, though. Like someone has burned that  
sound 500 times into a CD that you can't turn off."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
There was another pause.  
  
"Me, too. I used to think that they were pieces of my life, but  
they were so ridiculous. If I had lived like my dreams said I did,  
I would have been some kind of Superhuman creature."  
  
"But the quality of the dreams... it's different than other dreams."  
  
"Yep. Like the others are all made of cotton, and these are made  
of silk. Different textures."  
  
"You like analogies, don't you?"  
  
Lun@ blushed and smiled a little. "I guess I do. I like to be able  
to put things into simply, tactile terms."  
  
"That's a special skill. You'd be good at writing layman's books or  
something when you grow up."  
  
*When you grow up.* The words echoed in Lun@'s head. *Yeah, right.  
Well... maybe, if I'm actually going to grow up, now.* "Maybe,"  
she responded. "But, I don't want to grow up."  
  
"Why not?" Scully pried her blue-green eyes from the lone figure  
of Rei sweeping the temple steps and dragged it to the young teen  
next to her. "You don't want responsibility?"  
  
Lun@ rolled her eyes. "Does anyone? But, no, that's not it. I..."  
Her voice lowered to a whisper, head bowed. "I don't want Buffy and  
everyone else to grow up and forget about me. They treat me like you  
would a... a cool teacher. You can joke with them, you can cry to  
them, but there's always this invisible line that must never be  
crossed. You don't really go with them to movies, or complain to  
them, or anything like that. It's 'cause... 'cause..."  
  
"Because..." Scully prompted, interested.  
  
"Because that's the way it has to be." She grimaced at her own  
lame answer, lifting her head to Scully's searching gaze.  
  
Scully looked at those eyes, those large, green, _sightful_ eyes,  
and the statement rang through her as truth. "Who _are_ you?"  
  
"I am me," the other replied softly. The statement rang in the air.  
"There's nothing else for me to be."  
  
There was another pause. "Tell me, Scully... do your dreams...  
ever... have a... prince in them?" Lun@ looked over at the other  
woman out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Yes..." Scully whispered, remembering. "Tall... dark..."  
  
"And handsome?" the other inserted wryly.  
  
Scully found herself smiling, a rare occasion. "Well, to use  
a cliche, yes."  
  
Lun@ tightened her arms around her stomach in pain for a moment  
before she spoke. "Scully, do me a favor. Next time you have  
a dream... wake me up and tell me while it's still fresh in  
your mind."  
  
Mulder chose that moment to walk out of the door. "Scully, ready  
to go?"  
  
"Sure, Mulder. See you later, Lun@. Take care." She stood, with  
a hand from Mulder, and they began to walk away.  
  
"You didn't answer my question!" Lun@ called after her. Scully  
ignored her. "Well... great." Leaning her head against a post,  
and rubbing her aching belly, she sighed and watched the two leave.  
"Thanks a lot."  
  
  
The man stared at the two people in front of him. "Um... so..."  
He shuffled through the random messes of papers on his desk,  
searching for time he didn't have. It helped that he wasn't the  
most organized of men, not having the ingenuity to be both neat  
and have a case record percentage higher than his meager age of 36.  
He was slightly awed and cowed by both the credentials and the  
imposing figures of the agents in front of him.  
  
The woman, especially. US officials had the reputation of being  
humorless and hard, but this was ridiculous. He felt safer at his  
family reunion with his sister-in-law's high, squeaky voice than  
he did with that woman's expression. It was no-nonsense, utter  
business.  
  
Mr. Ino felt sorry for her partner.  
  
The lanky fellow at her side was poised in a relaxed manner and  
a curious expression, the yin to his partner's yang.  
  
Mr. Ino cleared his throat. "You both know why you're here."  
  
The man and the woman exchanged a glance. "Actually, Mr.--" he  
studied the nameplate before him, "Ino, is it?--Actually, we don't  
know why we're here. It was to our beliefs that the United States  
government and Japan do not simply 'trade' agents for cases."  
  
Oh, brother. The officer leaned forward against his desk.  
"We've never come across such a... difficult occurrence before."  
  
"Oh?" That was the man again. Mr. Ino began to wonder if the woman  
was capable of speech.  
  
"We've run into a difficult case. Actually, we keep running into it.  
In Japan--especially in Tokyo--we have a lot of... strange occurrences."  
  
The agents in front of him exchanged a glance, but said nothing.  
  
Mr. Ino swallowed and moved on. "Monsters keep appearing and  
terrorizing the city, making people sick and so forth. They keep  
appearing in odd places and blowing things up. Mostly, though, they  
have a strange appetite for... I guess it's human energy."  
  
"Are you suggesting that one of these monsters blew up our hotel  
last night?" The tone of the man suggested idle curiosity, but the  
look in his eyes reflected a sharp intellect and a keen, driven  
mind. There was nothing idle about this fellow.  
  
"No, no." Mr. Ino waved it off. "Definitely not. That was a prank  
put together by a disgruntled young man. Different stories."  
  
"Mr. Ino, would you mind describing these 'monsters' for us, please?"  
came the harshly skeptical and scientific voice of the lady.  
  
"They are... mostly female, and... well, we have some video footage."  
Picking up a remote from his desk drawer, the Head of Police turned  
on the TV sitting in the corner and pushed 'Play' on the VCR.  
  
A scene flickered into view on the brand new set. What looked like  
a monster movie started to play. The 'Monster' was about the size  
of a large person and obviously female. It was garbed brightly and  
scantily, all the while capturing the screaming civilians fleeing  
from its rampage and cocooning them in a green-blue thread, almost  
the way a spider would.  
  
"This is real footage taken by a police car camera a month ago."  
Mr. Ino frowned in remembrance.  
  
The two agents exchanged yet another glance, as if they could read  
each other's minds. And perhaps, the pot-bellied police chief thought  
with a start, perhaps they could.  
  
Just as it seemed that there would be no Tokyo left, a girl in  
a bathing suit appeared in front of it. Lightening struck the  
monster. Another bathing suit model appeared, and suddenly the  
monster was frozen in a block of ice. Three more bathing suit  
girls appeared, and the one with long pigtails and wings completed a  
complicated dance with a short stick. Whiteness filled the screen,  
and when the light cleared, the monster was gone. The girls waved  
at the crowd and disappeared from their cheering fans.  
  
"They jumped."  
  
"Excuse me?" inquired the man again.  
  
"You looked confused. They jumped." Mr. Ino began to rewind the  
tape.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The girls in bathing suits, Mulder," said his partner, a hint of  
dryness in her voice.  
  
"From what I've heard, you guys live to investigate stuff like this.  
We're at the end of our rope. If monsters keep attacking Tokyo,  
we're not going to have much of Tokyo left for them to destroy."  
  
"Why don't you just count on the bathing suit women?" Inquired  
Agent Mulder. "They seem to have a handle on it."  
  
The Japanese man scratched his head. "You know governments. They  
like to have a handle on these things. They like to know what's  
going on. What happens if the Senshi die? Then we're back to  
square one. No, they want to know what can be done, if anything.  
If you can think of anything to help us..."  
  
"The Senshi?"  
  
"The Sailor Senshi. They fight monsters like this. Their leader  
is Sailor Moon. Don't tell me you haven't heard anything about them?"  
Mr. Ino was almost aghast at the notion.  
  
"A little," Mulder admitted. "But I thought they were just a myth."  
  
"A myth? No," denied the smaller man, "I've met a couple face to  
face. They're real, all right."  
  
*****  
  
"So, Scully, what did you think?"  
  
"I think it was a load of hooey, and you know it!" She bit her lip  
in anger.  
  
"But the video tape--"  
  
"Could have been doctored."  
  
"But, why would the police chief lie to us? Why would an entire  
room of police lie to us? Face it Scully, the Bathing Suit Brigade  
is real." He wiggled his eyebrows.  
  
They stepped off the bus at the temple stairs and began to climb.  
"It's just not possible!" Scully finally exclaimed, stopping on the  
27th step. "It's not possible to freeze a creature with a magic  
toy, no matter how many movies or cartoons or crap TV you watch."  
  
Mulder looked at her at eye level, paused a couple steps below her.  
"We'll see." He then continued to climb.  
  
Scully fell in step next to him. "Mulder, I can't believe you."  
  
"What if they sprayed the creature with liquid Nitrogen?"  
  
"It wouldn't have created a block of ice, it only would have frozen  
the thing. The explosion at the end *could* have been a bomb, though."  
  
"A bomb?"  
  
"If they put it *inside* the creature--"  
  
"Scully, you're reaching."  
  
She sighed angrily. "So, what do you want me to say, Mulder? You  
want me to just nod and say, 'Of course you're right, Mulder, how  
silly of me to question you, lets go talk to the aliens'? Would  
you like that? Because, right now, Mulder, I'm all out of ideas.  
I'm fresh out. I also don't think that well on so much jet lag!!"  
  
"Scully, I never said anything about aliens," he replied mildly.  
"See you at dinner!" He waved, hopping up the remaining steps and  
striding quickly to the Boys Room.  
  
Reaching the top of the steps, Scully glowered and made her way to  
the shrine. Lun@ was sitting on the edge of the steps, the same  
position as she was this morning. On a whim, she turned to the  
girl. "Do you know anything about the Sailor Senshi?"  
  
Lun@ looked up from her pad of paper guiltily. Traces of tears  
could be made out barely on her cheeks. "Huh?"  
  
Scully repeated her question.  
  
"Oh, I should hope so," the girl responded, opening up in both body  
language and tone. "I seem to be drawing one."  
  
A glance at her pad of paper revealed a slim girl with long legs and  
short hair wearing one of those damn infuriating bathing suits.  
  
"I'm researching the Sailor Senshi. I guess it's getting to me, too,"  
she added ruefully. "I kinda dreamed about them last night."  
  
"Researching?"  
  
"Yeah. They're a very popular myth around these parts."  
  
"Myth?"  
  
"It's an old legend. They're guardians from the other planets,  
warriors of the light come to protect the only planet left capable  
of sustaining life. Well, the only planet _now_. Millions of years  
ago, though, people lived there. They were wiped out by an evil  
witch from Earth. She was contained, and the women warriors were sent  
to the future to protect the population, should they ever escape  
to wreak havoc on the people here."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"They're named after the planets and the Earth's Moon."  
  
"So, that one is Sailor Earth?" Scully studied the crude sketch and  
felt the itch at the back of her mind grow stronger. Talking to this  
person, this... _child_ made things click in her subconscious. The  
feeling of deja vu grew stronger.  
  
"No, from what I can tell, there is no Sailor Earth. I believe  
that this one is either Sailor Venus or Sailor Mercury, but I'm leaning  
towards Mercury. Venus just doesn't... _feel_ right."  
  
Scully touched the boot delicately, tracing it's outline with her  
finger. "No, Mercury." It came out as a whisper. "The ice is in  
her eyes, the water in her heart... even her expression imitates a  
river. She is the warrior that I trust."  
  
Lun@ looked at her quizzically. "Are you okay?"  
  
Scully looked up at her startled companion. "Uh, yeah."  
  
"Why do you ask?" At Scully's confusion, Lun@ added, "About the  
Senshi?"  
  
"... I had a dream last night about them." Surprisingly enough, it  
wasn't a lie.  
  
"So did I," Lun@ whispered, eyes drawing back to the pad of paper in  
her hands. She clutched it to her chest.  
  
Scully felt the words being pulled out of her by Lun@'s presence.  
"They were fighting gracefully. Then, one of them just stopped and  
started looking at me. I thought I heard her say my name. They  
were so vibrant and full of life, though... I think that if I had  
reached out, I would have felt flesh and blood."  
  
A sudden noise behind them broke the spell. "Supper is being served  
now, if you're eating with us," said Rei with a bossy air. "Come  
and wash up." She swept away, her red and white temple robes swirling  
behind her.  
  
For a moment, Scully relived a piece of her dream. *A warrior...?*  
She shook it off. "We better go," Scully awkwardly broke the silence.  
  
Lun@ nodded in agreement and clutched the sketchbook closer to her  
chest.  
  
"Well, bye." The FBI agent strode away, heels clicking behind her.  
  
Lun@'s voice was barely audible. "I dreamed they all died... and  
so did we."  
  
The shadows moved around her as she remained still.  
  
*****  
  
"Excuse me." The pleasant voice broke the dark haired damned angel's  
thoughts. "Could you please tell me..." The question hung for a  
moment. "... if we've met before?"  
  
Lun@ looked up slowly, her eyes moving up the body before her.  
He was tall and thin, light and dark.  
  
He cocked his head at her started gaze, his own matching it.  
  
She dropped to her knees. "I..."  
  
He fell to his. "... know you."  
  
They clutched each other in a big hug as Lun@ began to sob.  
  
*****  
  
She ran.  
  
Ran.  
  
She had to get there before he left.  
  
Ran.  
  
Like the wind.  
  
She was the wind.  
  
She was in the wind, a part of it, blowing to where she had to be.  
  
The rose gardens...  
  
The tall figure turned.  
  
She stopped.  
  
"Anderson..." Her breath came in heaves, caught in her throat.  
  
"Duie..." He looked down at her. "You came."  
  
"You didn't leave."  
  
"I couldn't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because..." He couldn't finish the sentence. Couldn't say the  
words. Couldn't put his soul on the line.  
  
"I know."  
  
The kiss was sweet and chaste, and they could both feel it ripple down  
to their toes. The tingle from their lips spread to their faces,  
and the pair looked at each other from heavy-lidded eyes.  
  
She reached up, way up, to brush his cheek with her hand.  
  
The moment paused. Time stopped.  
  
*****  
  
"What the heck...?" mumbled a sleepy, redheaded FBI agent. 


	14. Far-off Place

Disclaimer: Own them do I not. Know that you do. Stop asking you  
should.  
  
Warnings: Open, explicit sex and major character death. Not! Nothing  
really objectional. Rated maybe PG-13, just to be safe.  
  
*****  
  
I have often dreamed  
Of a far off place  
Where a great warm welcome  
Will be waiting for me.  
Where the crowds will cheer  
When they see my face,  
And a voice keeps saying  
This is where I'm meant to be.  
I can find my way.  
I can go the distance.  
I'll be there someday,  
If I can be strong.  
I would go most anywhere  
To feel like I belong.  
  
--"Go the Distance", _Hercules_  
  
*****  
  
Lun@ stared at her plate without interest, using her fork to rearrange  
her food. How could she eat? *I feel like I've betrayed her.*  
  
The image flashed in her head again: Buffy staggering, her own  
staff swinging down in a neat arch to connect with a ripe melon-  
sounding thump. Buffy dropping like a stone, a glimpse one of her  
brown eyes betraying the surprise and hurt at the flash of calm,  
almost disgustedly easy victory in her own green ones. The Slayer had  
missed the regret that clouded there for moment, regret aimed at the  
traitorous feelings that colored the mock-battle. Regret that Lun@  
herself had barely even realized was there, in her adrenaline-hazed,  
self-satisfied fog.  
  
She was well aware of that regret now, though; it coupled with the  
overwhelming guilt.  
  
Lun@ pushed her food again, almost violently. *I've betrayed myself.  
What I stand for. What I am. They look up to me. How can I meet  
their eyes? Or even look in a mirror?*  
  
Her dinner partner watched her carefully, reading into every movement  
with the eye of one who knew her heart. "You can't blame yourself.  
Why do you feel that you're at fault?" he finally asked, setting his  
own fork down.  
  
Turning her plate around, she tilted it so he could see.  
  
The food smiled back at him from the plate and he had to chuckle. She  
gave an answering slight laugh, more at his response to her antics  
than in real humor. Turning her plate around and studying it, the  
smile left her face. "Mamoru, I'm losing my grip on reality."  
  
His smile faded, too, but he said nothing, just listened.  
  
"I can't... I don't... " The words danced around her, taunting her.  
"I knew how everything worked. Now, suddenly, it's slipping from me.  
I didn't mean for my fight with Buffy to go that far. I wanted to...  
to... I wanted to prove something to myself, not to her. I wasn't  
out there to teach. I was out there to show myself that I could still  
do one thing right, that I still had a grip on myself. What I proved,  
though, is that I'm unstable."  
  
"You didn't kill her," he broke in. "You did what everyone agreed  
was necessary. It was your duty, as a teacher."  
  
"It was cruel and unnecessary!" Lun@ tightened her grip on her fork.  
  
"Was it?" He stared at her. "Lun@, from what you're telling me,  
it was the opposite. You were teaching her that she is not the  
infallible God that she thinks she is. You were teaching her that  
she has more to learn. You were doing your job."  
  
"There must have been a better way." She abandoned her fork for  
her napkin and began twisting it.  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
She smoothed out the napkin, trying to make the square of paper  
flat again. "Do you know how long it took me to make the healing  
rune work? I used to spin them off in rapid succession and not  
feel a thing. Now it takes me fifteen minutes to do one. *One*!  
And I was exhausted after!"  
  
"It was an emotionally draining day," he pointed out, sipping his  
tea. "That could have been any combination of things." Secretly,  
though, he wondered. *I've never heard of healing runes acting so.*  
"I don't really see you as the rune-type, though," he admitted.  
  
She began to shred her napkin, without even realizing what she was  
doing. "What do you mean? I always do magic that way. That's how  
it works."  
  
"Runes are crude and imperfect, like words," he explained. "What I  
feel from you is more of a surging."  
  
"Maybe I'm missing something," she muttered, "but I don't feel  
anything." She pushed her napkin pieces into two piles.  
  
"Maybe that's your problem." *She's organizing the chaos,* he  
realized with a start. *First the food on her plate, now the  
napkin pieces. Everything makes a pattern.*  
  
Sure enough, she began to organize the squares into a checkerboard,  
her mind busy on his words but her hands moving without thought or  
direction. "I've considered that. I feel empty a lot lately.  
Confused. Unsure. Perhaps a bit impatient. And, I've been taking  
it out on Buffy and Angel."  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"My friend. He always... well... There was a time, once, when  
he was cruel, but not anymore. The rest of the time, though, he's  
been my best friend. My only friend. I think he's more shocked with  
my behavior recently then I ever was with his." The checkerboard  
became a long row of napkin pieces.  
  
"I think you need to meditate." He tried to phrase it delicately  
as he picked his fork back up to eat his salad. "You need to dig  
deep within yourself and see what's bothering you."  
  
"I tried that," she replied glumly, using pats of butter to  
equally divide the napkin into two rows. "I hit upon a pocket of  
pent up energy so bad that I had to run around the temple a few  
times. As soon as I went out, though, a million thoughts demanded  
my attention, all at once. They refused to let go."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And I ended up making a drawing of the Sailor Senshi, of all things."  
A reluctant smile spread across her face at the rediculous situation.  
  
He considered this matter carefully. "You know of the Sailor Senshi?"  
  
"Yeah." Picking a piece of her roll off, she examined it before  
sticking it in her mouth, breaking her day's fast. "I'd heard about  
them a long time ago, and I so I started doing research. Just  
recently, I've made a lot a break-throughs. I was studying the  
Ginzouishou Cult, and I realized that I'd made a lot of...  
assumptions. I hear the Sailor Senshi protect Tokyo."  
  
"Yes," he said gravely. "They protect us all."  
  
She mulled this over for a bit, turning another piece of her roll  
over in her hands. "Are they powerful?"  
  
"Yes, very. I met a few of them, once," he decided to divulge to his  
surprised comrade. "They'll protect this planet with their lives,  
if necessary."  
  
"How odd," she murmured, looking at her hands. "I have so much  
power, but I use it to teach another to help instead of following  
the example of these... children, these girls... Why?"  
  
"The Sailor Senshi bring out such musings in us all." He reached out  
and took one of her time-worn hands in his own. "We all do what we  
must to balance the circle of life and keep it balanced."  
  
She nodded, accepting it for the moment. "You're right, Mamo-chan."  
Her use of Usagi's nickname for her boyfriend sounded strange on her  
tongue. "For some reason, you're right."  
  
*****  
  
She thought it out later, as she crept into the girl's room back  
at the temple. Why did he always say the right things? His words  
had a comforting effect. She knew that she could tell him anything,  
and a simple phrase would soothe her fears.  
  
*People are funny creatures,* she repeated to herself as she slipped  
into bed. *I doubt I'll ever understand them.*  
  
She lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, arms folded behind  
her head. *Where do I belong?* The thought just popped into her  
head. *They say home is where the heart is. I've always felt at  
home where ever I was. Does that mean that my heart is accepting  
of situations, or that I'm adaptable, or that I have no heart?*  
She frowned. *Sometimes I feel that I'm experiencing a "perfect  
moment", one that I'll never forget, no matter how insignificant  
it seems at the time. This is a turning point in my life, no matter  
if I want it to be, or not. No matter what, I have to deal with  
these feelings I have, or they could be the death of me.*  
  
And with that, she slept.  
  
*****  
  
A girl in a dark cloak beckoned her. "Come," her whispery movements  
commanded, "come join my quest." And this girl could be trusted.  
  
The woman placed her hand in the girl's larger one. "How can I serve?  
Where is my prince?"  
  
"He is in danger," was the grave reply. "As are you."  
  
"My duty is to my liege."  
  
"I expected as much. To get to him, we need more power."  
  
"Andy can help."  
  
"He will have to."  
  
*****  
  
Scully awoke with a jolt. Raising her hand to her head, she wiped  
her hair away from her face and cuped it there for a moment. *These  
dreams get stranger and stranger. This was the strangest one this  
night.* Moving her hand over her face, she felt something warm and  
sticky. *What the--? Oh, shit.* With a resignation born from  
experience, she rose from her bed and headed towards the bathroom to  
rinse off the blood leaking from her nose.  
  
Stupid, traitorous blood.  
  
Stupid, traitorous, cancerous blood.  
  
She felt the hopelessness settle in. Another long, lonely night  
lay before her, and it was all she could do to not cry.  
  
"Next time you have a dream... wake me up and tell me while it's  
still fresh in your mind."  
  
Lun@'s words echoed in her mind.  
  
"...wake me up and tell me..."  
  
"...wake me up..."  
  
"...tell me..."  
  
"...tell me..."  
  
"...tell me..."  
  
How could anyone refuse a command like that?  
  
*****  
  
The small plastic pieces sat in their confining squares, the unadorned,  
plain figures slightly unnerving in their boldness. They weren't  
really shaped like anything but boardgame pieces, with the exception  
of perhaps Hershey's Kisses (TM).  
  
*Yum, chocolate...* Buffy's mouth watered as her musings on the  
game of Clue (TM) went a bit overboard.  
  
"Buffy, it's your turn. Buffy? Buffy!" As a pair of dice were  
thrust into her hand, she quickly awakened from her chocolate-  
craving daze.  
  
She quickly rolled and moved her piece the designated number of  
squares. "Uh... Mrs. Peacock, with the... lead pipe, in the  
Ball Room."  
  
"You're in the Conservatory. You have to ask about the room you're  
in." Lun@'s tone was softened somewhat by the tentative grin on her  
face.  
  
"Oh, yeah. That's what I meant."  
  
"So, now she decides to start playing by the rules," muttered Xander.  
The whole group knew exactly who the bitter comment was aimed at.  
No one tried to correct him.  
  
Buffy, slightly embarassed by her friends, pretended that she didn't  
hear him. "The... what's a conservatory?"  
  
"Like a sitting room with plants." There was no trace of hurt in  
the dry responce.  
  
"Ah. What exactly IS a sitting room, anyway?"  
  
"A parlor."  
  
"Wh--"  
  
"A place to entertain guests," Lun@ cut her off with a grin.  
  
"Thanks!" Buffy chirped with a tentative smile of her own.  
  
The game continued. The group was tense tonight, though; the fight  
between Lun@ and her protege had left them all at ends. Which side  
should they choose? Perhaps Willow's thoughts summed it up best.  
  
*I kinda see why she did it. I mean, Buffy didn't respect her before,  
and she never would have respected her if she didn't prove herself  
sometime. It just seems so.. coldblooded and ruthless and conceited.  
And look at her. She doesn't even seem bothered! How does she stand  
it, knowing that she's lost our trust for the time being? How does  
_Angel_ stand it? Poor guy... I can't help but wonder how Lun@ can  
keep such a calm exterior about her, though. I hope I can have that  
extent of control someday. What am I saying; she's a monster! No,  
she's... well...*  
  
And so, the group said nothing. Tension built as the game went on,  
and none of their hearts were really in to winning.  
  
*****  
  
Every fiber in her being was screaming for her to leave the room.  
It was as if an invisible threat was unraveling the very cloth of  
her existance and yanking the resulting fibers to another place,  
the most unsettling feeling of being needed elsewhere. Right Then.  
  
She became more and more unsettled, looking at the door frequently  
and paying the game only a scant, disinterested attention.  
  
Her distractedness did not go unnoticed, but it did go unmentioned.  
  
"I would like to make an accusation," Xander told the group  
cattily. "Some one here is about to go down."  
  
"I have to leave," Lun@ blurted out, throwing her cards down, standing,  
and running to the door all at once. She disappeared into the  
blackness of the night before anyone had a chance to comment on it.  
  
Willow and Buffy exchanged a glance. That had definately been  
unexpected.  
  
"She's guilty," Xander declared. "I knew it all along."  
  
"Guilty of what, Xander?" Buffy snapped. "Trying to improve my  
fighting skills? I'm just getting sick and tired of you ragging  
on her. I don't need your protection! You think, just because  
a kid beat me, that now I suddenly need you hovering over me? Well,  
guess what? She beat because she's good. Really good. Better than  
me, is that what you want to hear?"  
  
"Easy there, Buff." He held out the answer envelope, giving her  
a hurt look. "She's Mr. Green. Mr. Green is the murderer. Wait, I  
didn't hurt your ego by telling you that, did I?" Getting up from  
the low table, he left the room. "I'm going to bed."  
  
Everyone watched silently as he left the room. "Uh... I gotta..."  
Angel slunk out, too, followed closely by Giles.  
  
Willow took a deep nervous breath. "Buffy... uh... we gotta talk."  
  
"What now?"  
  
"Buffy, you're... ah... scaring us. I mean, me. I mean, us. I  
mean... Buffy, you're acting really weird. Like after the Master  
died. You've been kinda... cruel all day, and we were kinda hoping  
to catch it in the bud this time." Willow looked at her hands  
desperately, as if they held the secrets of the universe.  
  
"Lun@ put you up to this, didn't she?" Buffy's voice was resigned  
and she slumped. "No, she wouldn't... Giles, right?"  
  
"Uh... yeah, Giles 'n' everyone else. They thought a one-on-one  
talk might be more effective than everyone ganging up on you.  
Xander volenteered, but I thought... maybe..."  
  
"Oh, Will..." Buffy leaned in to hug her friend. "She's so strange...  
Sometimes, I want to hug her, and other times I just want to kill  
her! What am I going to do?"  
  
"Don't worry," Willow soothed. "I'm sure Lun@ knows exactly what  
she's doing. Everything will be just fine."  
  
*****  
  
Lun@ raced down the street, the streetlamps making an eerie  
contrast to the darkness around her. *What the hell am I doing?*  
she wondered, a hint of nervous laughter coloring the thought.  
*Where am I going?* She paused as she came to a side street.  
*I should turn right around and head straight back for the temple.  
I should try to smooth things back over with Buffy. I should--  
turn left--try to bury the pain with some first-aid ointment... no,  
that's not my job... I should--what the...?* She skidded to a stop  
at the edge of a park... and a battle.  
  
Almost unconcious of her movements, she reached down to her right  
side with her left hand and pulled over her head. Where her hand  
dragged, black cloth followed, until it became apparant that she  
was pulling a black robe out of thin air over her head. Later  
she would think and wonder about this miracle of creating something  
from nothing.  
  
Crouching behind a bush, the black robe engulfing her short  
stature, she watched the battle.  
  
"RAAADDDDIIIIAAATTTIIIOOONNN!!!" The monster made a few more  
nonsensical cries, blasting at the two Sailor Senshi dancing around  
it. "Die! Die! Radiation!"  
  
"Hold still for a moment!" cried the angry senshi in red.  
  
"Mars..." correctly identified the hidden Lun@. "And Jupiter."  
  
"Where are the others?" moaned Jupiter as a little lightening rod  
shot out of the tiara on her head in preparation for her attack.  
"Vital Pressure!" The attack, a ball of lightening, was heaved  
at the monster.  
  
It hit the creature, and it's hands fizzled and blackened.  
  
"Did I get it?" Jupiter asked, her brown ponytail swinging behind  
her. As the blackened stubs on the creature re-formed, she gasped.  
"This one's strong!"  
  
"Mars Flame Sniper!" cried Mars. The Senshi of Fire smiled grimly  
as a flaming arrow slammed itself into the creature's heart.  
"Eat some fire power!"  
  
The monster grinned in return as she absorbed the fire into her  
body and made a returning blow. "Radiation!!!"  
  
Mars ducked the blast neatly.  
  
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" A chain of hearts whiped out and trapped  
the Radiation monster. The chain's owner gave a tug and the monster  
fell. "Don't worry," chirped the perky blonde in orange, "Sailor  
Venus here to save the day!"  
  
"About time!" muttered Mars.  
  
Lun@ smiled. *She's almost as grumpy as Rei!* The thought struck  
out at her and she frowned. *Rei...*  
  
"Hey, I was in the middle of a date! Unlike some of you guys, _I_  
have a social life!" Venus glared at Mars, giving the chain in her  
hand a vicious yank.  
  
The monster, "Radiation", roared and broke free of the chain.  
It wound up to do another radiation attack when a ball of light  
charging through the ground jumped up and crashed into her.  
  
There was a short pause as everyone looked at the ball's source. A  
few pink rose petals fluttered through the wind.  
  
"Sailor Uranus!" Jupiter yelled gleefully.  
  
"Sailor Neptune!" Venus cried, equally gleeful.  
  
"Heralded by a new age, I am Sailor Uranus, acting gorgeously."  
  
"The same goes for me, Sailor Neptune." She tossed her aqua-marine-  
haired head and the two struck a pose.  
  
The monster, shaking her head, retaliated at that very moment.  
"RADIATION!!!"  
  
The two jumped, but Uranus didn't tuck her legs quite tight enough  
and she was shoved back into a tree. With a dull "thud", she slid to  
the ground.  
  
"Uranus!" Neptune screamed. Her eyes narrowed at the monster.  
  
The monster gulped.  
  
"Deep Submerge!" The ball of water crashed into "Radiation".  
  
The monster sputtered and looked at her. "Radiation!" it gasped out,  
growing back the parts that had just been knocked off.  
  
Jupiter took the calm moment to check on the fallen warrior. "I wish  
Mercury was here," she muttered. "Uranus, are you okay?"  
  
The warrior of the air, Uranus, groaned.  
  
Lun@ began to worry and shifted position for a more comfortable  
stance.  
  
"Radia--"  
  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"  
  
The monster's cry was halted in mid-attack as ice engulfed her. The  
surprise on her face was apparent, even from Lun@'s awkward position.  
She seemed to glare.  
  
"Dead Scream." The whispered purple attack spun at the monster  
and Mercury and Pluto joined the group.  
  
"Mercury! Pluto!" The other senshi sighed in relief. Now, if only  
Eternal Sailor Moon would get her butt down here...  
  
*****  
  
Mercury *was* the senshi that Lun@ had been drawing before. Scully  
had been correct; everything about her was molded with water in mind.  
  
"Mercury, Uranus is hurt." Jupiter gratefully handed her patient off  
to the other girl.  
  
Mercury, with a quick nod, gently tugged on her bottom left blue  
earring. With a quiet *swish*, a translucent blue visor extended  
over her eyes. Pulling out a tiny calculator-like device, she began  
to scan the creature. "It's strong, you guys. It's pulling energy  
from atoms!" She processed the information quickly. "This is like  
nothing we've ever seen, so be careful, everyone! It's weakest  
point is the gem on it's stomach, so aim for that!" She turned  
around and headed for their injured comrade. "Uranus, are you okay?"  
  
With a scream, the monster broke through the ice prison it was  
trapped in and glared at the group.  
  
"Crescent beam!" Venus shot a sharp, pointed beam of light at the  
sparkling gem.  
  
With a grunt, Sailor Pluto slammed the end of her Time Staff into  
the corner of the gem in an attempt to dislodge it.  
  
Lun@ watched the senshi's efforts in wonder as they fought as  
one. Their coordinated attacks were amazing to watch as they  
battled, not only for their own lives, but for the city of Tokyo.  
"Bet they never have problems with their powers," grumped a  
jealous Lun@.  
  
Her attention shifted to the lady warrior of ice, Sailor Mercury.  
The blue-haired, blue-themed senshi was quickly examining her fallen  
companion.  
  
Lun@ could barely make out Uranus' words. "Mercury," she gasped,  
"my knee."  
  
"It'll be fine," Mercury soothed, scanning it with her visor.  
"You'll have some swelling later, but it should heal up perfectly."  
She smiled lightly at her friend. "For now, though..." She gently  
touched the knee with one hand.  
  
"C-cold!" Uranus yipped. "Thanks, Mercury." She gave the smaller  
senshi a smile. With a glare at the Radiation monster, she stood  
and pulled out a jeweled sword. "This bitch is going down."  
  
"Raaaadiiiiaaa--" The moster wound up for a doozy of an attack,  
and Lun@ flinched in sympathy.  
  
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, SCUMBAG!"  
  
A blond sailor senshi with wings and long pigtails appeared, arms  
crossed in a defiant expression. The other senshi all gave way to  
this beautiful warrior, respect and love in their postures. Their  
leader?  
  
"I am Eternal Sailor Moon, the champion of justice! On behalf of the  
Moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil. And, that means you!"  
  
Wait, those weren't _just_ pigtails... they were coming out of buns,  
one on either side of her head...  
  
"And I am Sailor Saturn," announced the dark-haired child at her  
side. "The Senshi of Silence and Death." She readied the spear-like  
weapon with her hands, her precious Silence Glaive.  
  
The monster looked even more frustrated, if possible. "Radiation?"  
  
"Eternal Sailor Moon, it's the gem causing all this trouble," Jupiter  
told her helpfully.  
  
"What took you so long?" Mars scolded angrily. "We were having  
problems, here!"  
  
"What, Mars, _you_ couldn't handle it? _You_? Say it, Mars,"  
Eternal Sailor Moon crowed, "say you need my help!"  
  
"Will you just get to work!!!" Mars screamed, furious.  
  
"Nag, nag, nag, that's all you do." Mars rolled her eyes at her  
friend. "You're too cruel, Mars."  
  
And then, to Lun@'s intent dismay, Eternal Sailor Moon, leader of  
the nine Sailor Senshi, Protector of the Solar System and single  
most powerful entity within, began to cry.  
  
The other senshi looked at each other in exasperation. The monster  
looked at the two quibbling senshi in disbelief.   
  
"Eternal Sailor Moon," reminded Saturn gently, if a bit disgustedly.  
  
"But she's so meeeeeaaaaaaaaaaan!" sobbed their leader.  
  
"Sailor Moon, please!" snapped the normally cool-headed  
Jupiter.  
  
"Err... right, Jupiter. Ready, Senshi?" The warrior was back.  
  
They all nodded and began the disarming process.  
  
"Bubble spray!" Mercury called, fogging up the air.  
  
"Huh?" Radiation looked around, confused.  
  
At that moment, Uranus and Saturn lunged at the monster with their  
pointy weapons.  
  
Venus prepared her crescent beam, Mars her flame sniper bow and  
arrows, and Jupiter a disc of lightening to hurl at the gem.  
  
"RADIATION!!" The blast knocked all the senshi flat in a burst of  
terrifying red.  
  
Lun@ whimpered and covered her head with her arms, cowering behind her  
bush. *If this happens much more, I'm going to have to find a new  
bush!* she moaned internally. *Besides, this hurts, dammit!*  
Then, she looked around.  
  
The senshi were scattered, flat on the ground. Radiation smiled,  
showing all of her ugly teeth, and attacked again.  
  
And again.  
  
And again.  
  
The senshi were broken and beaten before Lun@'s horrified eyes, and  
yet, for some reason, her limbs were paralyzed, refusing to obey  
any command to move, help, or even to flee. She couldn't drag her  
eyes from the horrible sight in front of her.  
  
Then, suddenly, something broke the spell.  
  
A rose.  
  
A red rose streaked through the air, neatly striking the gem on the  
creature's stomach. She looked down in disbelief. Stopped by a  
measally flower.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon cried joyfully, rising unsteadily to her  
feet.  
  
"Terrorizing a city? I don't think so! Not as long as there is...  
Tuxedo Kamen!" The man in the tuxedo, top hat, red cape, and  
white mask hopped down from the tree, throwing more roses.  
  
Lun@ winced in sympathy. *His speech-writer has _got_ to go.*  
  
It got worse. "Eternal Sailor Moon," the man intoned, "believe in  
yourself. Only then can you triumph over this evil." He threw  
more roses, and their razor-sharp stems stuck in the ground where  
the monster had once been.  
  
The senshi began to collect themselves, standing to throw more  
attacks at Radiation. Tuxedo Kamen kept chucking those roses, some  
of them landing haphazardly near Lun@'s hiding place.  
  
Even so, despite the corniness, despite the man's lack of  
practicality in choosing a fighting costume (formal wear?? Hello,  
Tux-boy!!), despite his strange taste in fighting matierials, she  
felt a strange affinity for this man.  
  
Which was why, when he shoved Sailor Moon out of the way of a  
blast, only to get caught himself, she felt such anger and took  
personal offense.  
  
"Son of a..." The words were barely louder than a whisper. Pulling  
herself out of her hiding place regally, she picked up one of Tux's  
discarded roses and heaved it at Radiation. Watched as it shot  
through the air, the red on the blossom dripping off, revealing  
yellow underneath.  
  
Watched as it struck the already loosened gem slightly off-center,  
causing it to slip from its precarious perch onto the ground.  
  
"Now, Eternal Sailor Moon," Lun@ prompted the winged woman in a growl.  
  
The warrior nodded in tight agreement, secretly marveling at this  
imposing figure. Extracting her wand from wherever she kept it,  
she shouted, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"  
  
The dubious-sounding attack ripped through the creature that was  
Radiation, obliverating it completely. A whisper of the creature's  
last testiment, "Beautiful", rang delicately over the suddenly quiet  
grounds.  
  
*****  
  
Eternal Sailor Moon surveyed the damage, her precious warrior  
friends laying on the ground. "Everyone!" she murmured in dismay,  
slight tears filling her eyes. She paused in her flitting from  
person to person to look back at Lun@. "Who are you? Are you an  
ally?"  
  
The black-cloaked figure chose not to answer, instead moving to  
Tuxedo Kamen's side. Running fingers over his greivious wound, she  
shuddered and gathered him close. A hand on her shoulder stopped  
her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Eternal Sailor Moon's eyes tightened, as  
well as her grip on her powerful wand.  
  
"Don't touch me."  
  
The whispered command sent Eternal Sailor Moon back a couple paces.  
  
The black figure stood, looking around at the senshi. Once, so  
full of life, and now... eerily still. Hands came together, and  
a giant healing rune was traced in the air. Flaring to life, it  
hovered there, trembling with power.  
  
"Heal your brave warriors." Bending down, the figure picked up the  
still form of Tuxedo Kamen in a fireman's carry and began to walk away.  
  
"Leave him alone!" The blonde warrior rushed the cloaked figure in  
a panic. "Leave Tuxedo Kamen alone!"  
  
"Your friends need you."  
  
"Tuxedo--"  
  
"Go."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Go."  
  
"No! I won't leave him."  
  
And the black-cloaked figure left.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen!" Eternal Sailor Moon dropped to her knees in real  
tears, the bodies of her closest friends scattered aruond her. "No!"  
  
But the figure was gone, disappearing into the absent mist.  



	15. Heart and Soul

Disclaimer: Hahaha, don't own 'em yet, but I will by the end of the  
week if Chris Carter, Naoko Takeuchi, and Joss call me back...  
hee, hee...  
  
Summary: Hahahahahaha, wouldn't you like to know? The Senshi go  
looking for Tuxedo Kamen and don't find him until too late. Hehehehe.  
I love these things.  
  
Dic warning: Um, yeah, I refer to that guy that Ami met way back  
in the first series as "Greg" because I can't spell his Japanese  
name. Um, yeah, I know it's only three letters, thanks. Sorry!  
  
*****  
  
Before criticizing, walk a mile in the other person's shoes. That  
way, if you have something cruel to say, you're a mile away and have  
their shoes.  
  
*****  
  
Pluto groaned and rolled over onto her back, considering just sleeping  
there for a long, long time. Screw the Gate of Time; it could just  
watch itself for now.  
  
Suddenly, she felt the sensation of eyes staring at her. Vigorously  
willing them to go away, she waited. When she finally couldn't take  
it anymore, her prayers going so unanswered, she cracked her eyes  
open to survey the mistreators.  
  
It's not everyday you awake to find all the rest of the Sailor  
Senshi gathered around you, eyes pleading with your still form.  
  
"Wha...?" she managed to croak out, voice cracking.  
  
"Pluto!" Unshed tears glimmered in Eternal Sailor Moon's eyes.  
"You're all right!"  
  
"Thank god," murmured another senshi; Pluto suspected Uranus.  
  
"Princess." Pluto smiled up at her leader and friend. "What's going  
on?"  
  
"You were... I thought... you looked... I... the monster..." Tears  
welled up in the girl's eyes again and she burst out in grateful  
sobs. "Oh, Pluto, you're alive!"  
  
Awkwardly patting the girl that was suddenly in her arms, Pluto turned  
to the others, a plea in her eyes.  
  
"We thought you were dead," translated Saturn, who herself had shiny  
eyes. "The rune had so little power left."  
  
"Rune?" Suddenly, it all came flooding back to her: Pluto, on the  
verge of unconsciousness, unable to find the strength to stand and  
save her Princess. A muttered curse. A yellow rose darting through  
the air. A black-cloaked figure. A confrontation. A glowing  
symbol in the air, fading to the blackness of near-death. She  
frowned. *I've seen that figure before...* she thought with a  
frown.  
  
"Pluto, what's wrong?" Neptune inquired tentatively, afraid of  
the answer.  
  
"I've seen her before." The muttered answer brought an exchanged  
group glance.  
  
"The monster?" suggested Uranus. "Where?"  
  
"No, not the monster," deterred Pluto, deep in thought.  
  
"Eternal Sailor Moon?"  
  
The innocent question brought on many disgusted looks; even Sailor  
Moon stopped her bawling to blink at the Senshi.  
  
"Venus..." Jupiter murmured in a tone that is most commonly used to  
speak to the mentally unstable. "That's sad."  
  
"What?" demanded Venus, indignant. "It's Pluto who doesn't remember  
her!"  
  
Pluto stood, stopping the ensuing argument. "The figure. The  
black-cloaked one. I've seen him before."  
  
"Who is it?" Sailor Moon asked, also pulling herself to her feet.  
"And, why did he take Tuxedo Kamen? Where did he go?"  
  
Pluto shook her head, thoughts confused. "I don't... know. I  
can't... I can't remember. I'm sorry, Princess," she added,  
attempting to comfort her leader.  
  
"It's not your fault, Pluto." Sailor Moon suddenly seemed very  
old. "He's only been kidnapped _yet again_. If I didn't love  
him so much, I'd be furious at him for making me go through this."  
  
*****  
  
As the rest of the senshi comforted Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury  
pulled back from the group with a worried expression. The  
person they were dealing with was very powerful. Kidnapping  
Tuxedo Kamen was a difficult task, even if the man did appear  
to be a numskull some of the time. Plus, she had a rather  
disturbing feeling at the moment: calm. How could she be  
so calm? One of the guardians of the Moon Princess had been  
kidnapped! Somehow, though, she just couldn't make herself  
feel angry or upset about it.  
  
This, perhaps, is what upset her the most. How could she feel  
no trepidation at the idea that he had been stolen away again,  
right from under their noses? Was she so disloyal to her  
Prince and Princess that she could hope disaster on them?  
  
Suddenly, she felt a pang of loneliness. She was no stranger  
to the mano-a-mano clause; in fact, she often found herself  
considering herself alone, even when in her group of best friends.  
Maybe it was because she was so quiet and shy that she naturally  
wrapped herself in a solitary aura when confronted by people.  
Maybe it was because the others were always quibbling, and she  
felt like the helpless mother, left to pick sides and enforce  
discipline. Maybe it was because the others paired up,  
common interests bringing them together, leaving her to tag  
along and remind them of their duties.  
  
Not that she minded. It was her way of life; she wouldn't have it  
any other way. When people got to close, it made her afraid  
that they would finally look into her soul and figure out what a  
terribly dull person she actually was. Even though her brain  
disagreed, it could not convince her stubborn heart that she  
was actually quite well liked.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen had a way of doing that. Oftentimes, Tuxedo Kamen  
and Mercury had found themselves turning to each other in a moment  
of crisis, knowing that they could talk. They were almost best  
friends, but neither of them could bring themselves to admit that  
they could possibly be that close to another human being who didn't  
have Eternal Sailor Moon's beautiful, life-giving soul. Each  
felt proud that they could be strong for themselves, without  
begrudging others who could be so blessed to love and be love.  
  
So, why Mercury felt calm at the prospect of her good friend  
being kidnapped yet again was a mystery to her.  
  
*****  
  
"This," moaned Lun@, "has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever  
done." Shifting the man's heavy weight on her loudly complaining  
shoulder, she staggered a bit before continuing her rant. "I mean,  
that little day trip in the Vatican, that was stupid. That thing  
with the Canadian mountie's horse was just idiotic. I even admit  
that the stunt I pulled during the taping of _The Wizard of Oz_,  
the one with all the munchkins--"--she grinned at the memory--  
"--was not one of my better moments. This, however, takes the  
cake. And, dammit, what did you eat for breakfast," she demanded  
of her limp passenger, "Cementy-Os?? Honey-flavored bricks?  
You weigh like a truck, man!" Her sarcasm faded into worry,  
though. "And you're barely breathing. I'm sorry, please don't  
die. I would have healed you, but I don't have the strength  
anymore. Please don't die. Please. I'll never forgive you  
if you do." A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Isn't this a turn  
of events? An Angel of Death begging for life. Makes me wanna  
vomit."  
  
And, indeed, she _did_ have that urge, however well contained.  
Lun@'s exhaustion was so immense, she felt like she just wanted  
to throw up and sleep. Preferably in that direct order.  
  
*I don't remember Rei's temple being so far away,* she puffed,  
a tad desperate.  
  
Suddenly, Buffy was at her side. "Lun@, what's going on? Here,  
let me take that." With gentle hands, she pulled the dying man  
out of Lun@'s arms.  
  
With a sigh of relief, Lun@ let her burden go, not even thinking  
to question Buffy's appearance. "He needs help. Be careful of  
his wounds."  
  
Buffy easily carried the comatose body up the mountain of stairs  
to the temple. "Where did you go? We were worried."  
  
"I don't know. Put him in the room with the sacred fire."  
  
Buffy looked doubtful. "I dunno, the Priestess really seemed adamant  
about keeping us out of there. You sure it's a good idea?"  
  
"I'll deal with Rei and whatever hissy fit she throws. That's  
the cleanest, warmest place in the temple, though, and he needs it."  
Pushing open the door to the room, she pushed Buffy through gently.  
  
*Besides,* she thought, suddenly having an insane desire to giggle,  
*Rei's hissy fit will be the least of my problems. No, I had to  
go piss off the ENTIRE Sailor Senshi team. They're gonna kick  
my ass.* One lone, strangled, hysterical giggle escaped before  
she managed to contain herself. "Here, set him down here," Lun@  
indicated, ignoring the concerned glance her student had just thrown  
her. "I'm... uh... I'm gonna need blankets, a pillow, warm water,  
bandages--"--a miracle--"--er... Angel and Scully. Wait,  
on second thought, hold the Angel until I get the blood cleaned  
up a little more. There's no use in tempting fate or demons."  
  
"'Scully'?"  
  
"Agent Scully is a doctor. Why, she's not asleep, is she?" Lun@  
looked around, confused. "What time is it?"  
  
"About midnight, local. I'll look." Buffy turned to go and  
abruptly changed her mind. "Uh... Are you okay?"  
  
Lun@ looked down at herself. "I think so," she answered absently.  
"Why, am I bleeding?"  
  
"No, you just look a little... who *is* this guy, anyway, and why  
is he wearing formal wear?"  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen, and I have no idea."  
  
Reluctantly, Buffy left her spacier-than-usual mentor to go find  
the appointed help.  
  
Examining the body in front of her carefully, Lun@ frowned and  
carefully reached out with both hands to the mask on his face.  
Delicately holding the corners of the white piece of fabric, she  
froze. Should I protect this man's identity, or find out who  
the hell he is? Is this need in me to know idle curiosity or  
something deeper? Arriving at her decision, she gently lifted  
the mask from his pale face.  
  
I _knew_ I'd seen him somewhere before! she gasped with horror  
and recognition. "Mamoru?"  
  
His eyelids fluttered slightly and he moaned, turning. "Usako...?"  
  
Staring at the man, a feeling of dread settled over her suddenly  
weak shoulders. "Oh, man, Eternal Sailor Moon's gonna pound  
me into the floor."  
  
*****  
  
"He's not at any of the hospitals, he hasn't gone home, and for  
some reason, I'm having trouble finding him with my computer,"  
Mercury summed up, still typing furiously away at the keypad on  
her mini-supercomputer. "I mean, I _know_ he's somewhere in Tokyo  
and somewhere in this 6-km radius--which is only 36-pi kilometers  
square--but it'll take at least six hours to triangulate his position  
tonight." Mercury looked up at the sky. "The weather channel  
predicts an 80% chance of thunderstorms in the next couple of hours,  
which means that there's too much electricity in the air right now to  
get a clear reading of much of anything until I re-install the--"  
  
"Thanks, Mercury," Eternal Sailor Moon cut her off, "but we're all  
too tired right now to do anything. You look like you're about  
to fall over, and Pluto, well..." Everyone followed her gaze over  
to where the tallest of the women, Sailor Pluto, had fallen asleep  
against a tree. Her long time staff was grasped loosely in her hands,  
and her long dark green hair streamed around her, waving gently in  
the light breeze. "Ever since you guys've been healed, you've  
been really tired. Go home, get some sleep. There's nothing that  
can't wait until morning." Her wings faded as her transformation  
wore off, and Eternal Sailor Moon once more became Usagi Tsukino.  
  
"Usagi--" Sailor Jupiter began.  
  
"Go home. We'll meet at nine o'clock tomorrow down in the arcade.  
Please, everyone," she changed her tone, eyes gently tearing up,  
"please."  
  
Gently, Uranus and Neptune lifted the sleeping Pluto and bore her  
towards their shared home, Saturn following silently behind with  
Pluto's time staff. "Goodnight, Princess. Don't worry; we'll get  
him back."  
  
Tall, blonde, and beautiful Sailor Venus de-transformed into her  
normal clothes. "Don't worry, Usagi; I'm sure he's fine," Minako  
Aino whispered.  
  
"Yeah, he's probably staying at a friend's house, in bed and asleep,"  
agreed Sailor Jupiter, once more become the tall, athletic Makoto  
Kino.  
  
Waving an awkward goodbye to their best friend, they began to walk  
home.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars exchanged a glance, allowing their  
eyes to speak. "Do you want us to stay over?"  
  
"No, that's okay, really," Usagi insisted. "Go home. Sleep. I'll  
be fine."  
  
Blue-themed Mercury melted down to the blue-haired Ami Mizuno. "I'll  
walk you home, Usagi."  
  
Mars understood instantly, and allowed her costume to change back to  
her normal clothes. "Nine o'clock, Usagi. I'll see you then."  
  
The other two girls waved. "Goodnight, Rei."  
  
And Rei Hino turned back towards her temple.  
  
*****  
  
Scully found herself at the door of the room housing the Sacred Fire.  
Inexplicably anxious and therefore overly cautious, she slid the  
quiet door open to find Lun@ kneeling next to man with cuts and  
bruises covering his body. "Lun@?"  
  
"Scully." Lun@ didn't turn around. "Care to lend a hand?"  
  
"This is..."  
  
"Tall, dark, and handsome from dreamworld, yes."  
  
Amazed, and not a bit creeped-out, Scully knelt next to the man  
and began examining him. "He has several abrasions on his epidermis--"  
  
"Small words, Scully. Please, small words."  
  
"It looks like he's been in a fight, Lun@. What happened to him?"  
  
"He was in a fight."  
  
Scully took a better look at him. "In a tuxedo?"  
  
"No, I dressed him like this. Yes, in a tuxedo! Help me get it off  
of him! Unless... are we not supposed to move him? 'Cause, then,  
I did a bad." Lun@ swallowed hard and crushed Mamoru's mask harder  
in her hand. "Is he going to die?"  
  
Scully sighed and began to remove his jacket. "I'm not sure yet," she  
admitted. "I can't tell how bad his wounds are. Besides, it looks  
tricky. He could either give up or keep on going."  
  
Lun@'s face hardened a bit. "If he dies, I have to do it." She  
squeezed the mask tighter.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Kill him."  
  
Scully looked shocked. "What?"  
  
"You heard me." Her lips pressed into a line.  
  
"Why?" Scully demanded. "That's murder!"  
  
"So they tell me. But his soul is mine--it--we're... He's not allowed to die! Do you hear me, Mamoru? Who'll protect Usagi if you die? Who?? Answer me, damn you!" she snarled her plea, grabbing his hands.  
Her angry expression broke. "Please..."  
  
*****  
  
"Usagi, are you sure you'll be okay?" Ami put her hand on her  
friend's shoulder.  
  
"I'll be fine, Ami-chan," Usagi smiled wanly, eyes averted. "Really."  
She turned to walk into her house.  
  
"Usagi!" Ami cried suddenly. Usagi turned. "Usagi, you... you're  
the first friend I've ever had. I know... I know we've only become  
friends in the past couple of years, but... please... I have to...  
Usagi, you don't have to be alone right now. My mom's out of town  
on a business trip. You can stay at my house. It'll be all right."  
Her blue eyes pleaded with her friend.  
  
Her leader's eyes were similarly bright. "I have to stay home  
tonight, Ami. Just in case..." She looked up at the window of her  
bedroom. "But, you can stay over here, if you want."  
  
  
Usagi sat on her bed and thought. Though Ami was in the bathroom  
now, her friend would be back soon, and Usagi couldn't think about  
what she needed to mull over with Ami around.  
  
Ami wasn't just concerned about her friend.  
  
Of course, she was, but that wasn't all that was bothering her.  
Ami was being reminded of when _her_ friend had left. Of course,  
Ami and Taiki hadn't been dating, but the relationship had had  
potential. The three Starlight's quest had ended, however, and  
Taiki, Yaten, and Seiya had taken _their_ princess, Princess  
Kakyuu, home to their distant empire to rebuild.  
  
It was as close to a dating relationship that Ami had ever gotten,  
not counting Greg, of course. But Greg had moved on, and evidently  
now had a steady girlfriend from France, or one of those other weird  
Western European countries.  
  
And here Usagi was, abandoned by her boyfriend, and here Ami was,  
abandoned by her... potential boyfriend.  
  
For these brief moments in time, Usagi and Ami, klutz and girl genius,  
cry baby and patient protector, the bottom and top of their class,  
were the same.  
  
It was both wonderful and frightening.  
  
*****  
  
Rei felt the uneasy tingling of danger tugging at the edge of her  
consciousness as she approached her home. Her frown deepened.  
  
*Something's wrong.*  
  
*****  
  
"Lun@, he's in a lot of danger. It doesn't look good," Scully bluntly  
told the uncharacteristically quiet girl squeezing Mamoru's hand.  
  
"Lie to me," Lun@ begged, staring at the man lying on the floor.  
  
Scully sighed and pushed a bright red strand of her hair behind her  
ear. "It's not that simple. Why didn't you take him to the hospital?  
This man needs professional care."  
  
"I wasn't... I didn't think. I don't know. What's the number for  
911 in Japan?"  
  
Scully rattled off the number without thinking. In answer to Lun@'s  
questioning glance, Scully shrugged. "When traveling with Mulder,  
you learn to be prepared."  
  
*****  
  
Rei stood at the top of the steps, the wind rustling her hair and  
the moon casting an ominous shadow across the path in front of her.  
  
"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
  
*****  
  
His breath caught in his mouth, and he began to choke.  
  
"No, no," whispered Lun@, "don't you dare!" Her hands clutched his  
harder, twisting them and eventually meeting palm to palm. "Please,  
Mamoru, please!"  
  
Scully was half-way to the door to get her cell phone before a  
bright burst of light stopped her in her tracks.  
  
*****  
  
Sailor Mars threw open the door to the room with her Sacred Fire  
furiously. Her command, "Hold it right there!" was forgotten as she  
stared at the two figures on the floor, fingers intertwined.  
  
Light streamed out of their hands, and Mars and Scully stood in  
shock as the two yelped in surprise and yanked their hands away.  
  
Lun@, dark cloak billowing, collapsed on top of Mamoru's body  
and lay still.  
  
Mars raced over, high heels clicking on the wood, and carelessly  
pulled the kidnapper's limp form off Usagi's boyfriend. "Mamoru!  
Mamoru! Are you okay?"  
  
He opened his eyes, blinking a few times. "Mars? Where's Eternal  
Sailor Moon?" He looked around.  
  
Mars found herself being pushed away by the frenzied, red-haired  
FBI agent in full doctor mode. "Impossible! He was near death!  
What happened to all his wounds? How do you feel, sir?"  
  
"I feel... fine. Is Usako all right?" He rose and rubbed a scratched  
shoulder.  
  
"Usagi's at home..." Mars trailed off and whipped out her communicator.  
"Usagi... I found him."  
  
*****  
  
"So, she should be fine?" Buffy delicately removed a wisp of hair  
from her guardian's cheek.  
  
"It looks like she collapsed from exhaustion," Scully replied with a  
yawn. "After some sleep, she should be fine."  
  
Buffy covered her gently with another blanket. "Good." Standing,  
she stepped outside to face the music.  
  
Sailor Mars was standing there, hands on hips, looking positively  
evil. "You're harboring a fugitive in this temple!"  
  
Buffy glared back, their respectively large tempers crashing together.  
"Oh, yeah? And who do you think you are?"  
  
"Hey, Buffy, Rei. Woah, what's up with the costume?" Xander  
tried to keep from staring at the short skirt and tight body suit  
that the senshi fought in. "Are you supposed to be one of those  
Sailor Sen... oh." He paled. "Nevermind, I can see you too are  
busy. Carry on!" He backed up.  
  
"Rei?" Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Look, if this is about us using  
your fire room..."  
  
The black-haired girl looked as if she were about to speak before a  
hand descended upon her shoulder. She looked up in surprise.  
  
"Rei," Mamoru cajoled in his quiet tone, "let it go." Usagi hung  
at his side, eyes wide and shining happily.  
  
And only Buffy noticed the blue-haired girl in the background  
leaning against one of the over-hang supports, a black cat draped over  
one shoulder.  
  
"But she--"  
  
"It's okay. She meant no harm." The man and the warrior exchanged  
a hard look for a few minutes before the hot-tempered priestess  
let it drop.  
  
*****  
  
Scully looked on from the side lines, her curiosity of the man standing  
there pulsating through her. She still remembered that voice from  
her dream, the whispered desperation that oozed through the whole  
sequence: "Come, come join my quest."  
  
This man, this... dark knight that stood before her... who was he?  
And, why did she have this insane desire to kneel before him?  
  
Something was not right. No, no, no, not right at all.  
  
After his little staring contest with the priestess, the tall man  
turned towards her and extended a hand. "Thank you for your help,"  
he said warmly.  
  
She took it and shook firmly. "I'd like to know what's going on."  
  
Mamoru smiled at the tiny, strong woman. "An endless cycle, a battle  
between good and evil." He turned to go.  
  
"Wait! What do you mean by that?" she demanded, frustrated, her hand  
still tingling from grasping his.  
  
He turned and glanced over his shoulder.  
  
And suddenly, Dana Katherine Scully knew.  
  
There were more dreams ahead of her.  
  
This wasn't over yet.  
  
It wasn't even close.  
  
*****  
  
"Well, you're looking better." Buffy handed her mentor a glass of  
juice. "I bet you're glad to know I cleaned up that mess with the  
Sailor Senshi for you."  
  
"This experience has taught me two things," Lun@ replied ruefully,  
sipping her orange juice. "The first: there is a God."  
  
"And the second?"  
  
"I'm not Her."  
  
Buffy emitted a quick chuckle. "Seems somebody woke up on the  
reality side of the bed."  
  
"Yeah, sure, go ahead and chuckle. Laugh at my expense. Go ahead,  
yuk it up." Lun@ threw a mock-agonized look. "I'll just sit in my  
corner over here and drink my acidic, pulpy orange juice."  
  
"You like it pulpy."  
  
"Oh. Yeah. Right." She blinked. "Okay, then... maybe life isn't  
so bad after all."  
  
The Slayer laughed and ruffled the other girl's hair. "You know,  
you're actually kinda cute after you pass out."  
  
Lun@ stuck her tongue out at her.  
  
A knock at the door interrupted their playful camaraderie. Rei  
slid the door open. "There's someone here to see you," she informed  
Lun@ stiffly. The ex-Angel of Death squirmed anxiously. Stepping  
aside, the priestess admitted the visitor.  
  
In stepped a small, black cat.  
  
"Hey!" cried Buffy, "that's one of those cats with the bald spot!"  
  
The cat glared at the Slayer.  
  
"Well..." sighed Lun@, "I never expected my next visitor to be all  
the way from Mau."  
  
A person followed the animal into the room.  
  
"Warrior of Mercury!" Lun@ smiled. "This is an honor!"  
  
"What?" demanded Buffy.  
  
"Remember how Rei was Sailor Mars? Well, I recognize this fine  
young lady from the pictures. She's the senshi of ice, Sailor  
Mercury."  
  
"We need to speak with you, Lun@," Luna told her gravely.  
  
"My God, it talks," Buffy groaned. "I'm hearing things."  
  
"Do not talk to creatures you do not wish to understand," Lun@  
advised gravely before turning back to the cat. "I see."  
  
"Perhaps we could take a walk," the blue-haired girl suggested.  
She stuck out her hand. "My name is Ami Mizuno."  
  
Lun@ shook it. "Call me Lun@, until I come up with a new name."  
  
They left the room and began to wander the temple grounds. Luna  
began. "I need to know your intentions. Are you friend or foe?"  
  
A bitter smile crept upon her face. "Am I a good witch or a bad  
witch? 'Oh, I'm not a witch at all,'" she quoted. Seeing their  
confused looks at the missed cultural reference, her smile slipped.  
"I'm here to fight the forces of evil. Whatever side that is in  
relationship to you, I'm there. I'm sorry," she apologized abruptly,  
"I didn't mean to kidnap Tuxedo Kamen. Well, I mean, I _did_, but  
not forever. I just... I... I don't know what was going on in my  
head. It's all so muddled..."  
  
Buffy watched, disturbed, as her strong and tough mentor wrapped  
her arms around herself and emitted fear. The lost look on her  
was extremely disheartening.  
  
Lost.  
  
Lun@ was lost.  
  
*****  
  
"Scully, what's wrong with you?" Mulder demanded, a bit concerned.  
His normally clear-headed partner was acting like a fruitcake.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mulder," she apologized, massaging her sinuses and  
temples alternatively. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."  
  
"Bad dreams?" he asked, a bit softer.  
  
"More like one big nightmare, starting from when we got here. Mulder,  
this case is a mess. Sure, it's strange, but it's no X-File. Some  
girls in bathing suits are parading around, declaring themselves  
Sailor Soldiers of justice, defeating 'evil'. So what? This is a  
job for the media, not the FBI! Okay, and lets pretend, just for  
the sake of argument, that there really is a big, magical battle  
going on, and these children really are protecting the world. What  
can we do? They've kept us safe so far. And, if we discover these  
Girl's secret identities, say, for example, if the Priestess was one  
of them or something, what then? We turn in our report and say,  
"Adios, amigos, we've got a plane to catch! Hope the government  
doesn't hold you for secret testing or anything"? Mulder, we're  
just doing the Consortium's bidding again, no matter how we play  
this."  
  
"What _happened_ to you last night, Scully?" Mulder demanded jokingly.  
  
She took a deep breath. "I met one of them," she said with a sigh.  
"Well, two of them, actually. Maybe a few more, but it was dark.  
Lun@ brought in one of their friends; he was badly wounded, almost  
dead. Then..." She wondered how she should phrase it. "I saw...  
He was healed. All better. He had been going into cardiac arrest,  
and then he was fine. It was a miracle."  
  
"And to think I slept through it," Mulder murmured. "Why didn't you  
wake me up?"  
  
"I don't know. Hell, maybe I slept through it, too. Maybe it was  
a dream. I don't know anymore." She shook her head, setting down  
the file she was working on. "I just don't know." 


	16. Close to Comfort

Disclaimer: I bought them over the weekend, so now you have to say that they belong to me. ALL MINE!!!!! Humph. Yeah,  
right.  
  
Warning: Do not try eating vampires, whether they look like Skittles or not.  
  
My apologies to Highlander: the Series for my dreadful pondering of the misquote: "Live. Grow Stronger. Fight another day."  
... or something to that effect...  
  
Author's note: Okay, I realize that I've under-abused the clones and the baddies so far, because we really get to see more of  
them in the real series, but it's harder for me to write evil lines without getting rid of the suspence. Okay, on with the story.  
  
*****  
  
"Sometimes, between the four of us, I don't think we have the brains God gave a doorknob."  
  
--Winston, "Haunting of Heck House", The Real Ghostbusters  
  
*****  
  
"Okay, I want to know what's wrong and I want you to tell me now."  
  
Scully answered back after a short pause. "I'm fine, Mulder."  
  
"Bullshit!" he returned rapidly. "That's BS, and you know it!"  
  
"I don't have to answer to you, Mulder!" she barked out. "You're not my keeper!"  
  
"No, that's right, I'm only your partner and your friend. You don't owe me the least bit of respect at all."  
  
Scully wiped at her nose uneasily. "Mulder... what if I told you, Mulder, that I'd met one of the Sailor Senshi?"  
  
"I'd say, 'WHAT? When?'" he demanded.  
  
"And, hypothetically, I knew we were in over our heads. Yes, Mulder," she answered his challenging look, "even yours."  
  
"And, hypothetically, are you telling me this?"  
  
"Yes, Mulder, you're getting a big old hypothetical warning."  
  
"So, what does this mean?"  
  
"Well, hypothetically--"  
  
"Scully, stop," he interrupted. "I've broken your clever code."  
  
She smiled a little.  
  
"Maybe it's time for you to start driving that clue bus towards me, eh, partner?"  
  
Scully sipped her coffee absently. "I've been having these dreams, Mulder, and last night, I met someone from them."  
  
"The man of your dreams, eh, Scully?" Mulder leered.  
  
She shot him an exasperated look before continuing. "He had been in a terrible fight... Mulder, he was almost dead! Then, all of  
the sudden, poof, he's fine. And then Sailor Mars is there, and then..." She shook her head. "Maybe I dreamed it all."  
  
"That's one hell of a dream." Mulder sat back and wondered what he should do.  
  
"The temple priestess, Rei Hino, is Sailor Mars," Scully added, almost as an afterthought.  
  
"Maybe we should just ask her who the others are," Mulder suggested with a wink.  
  
"Or, we could just ask Lun@."  
  
"She was there, too?"  
  
"She starred in my little nightmare." The FBI agent stared deeply into her cup of joe. "There's something strange about her and  
her friends. I can't quite place it."  
  
"Maybe they're Sailor Senshi, too."  
  
Scully stared at him for a moment before bursting out into laughter at the thought of the prissy British librarian dressed up in a  
tight bodysuit and heels. "Mulder..." she gasped, "Mulder..."  
  
He shot his partner a humored glance. "C'mon, Scully; where's your sense of adventure?"  
  
*This would be the perfect time,* she thought suddenly, *to tell him about my dreams and my c--illness.* She opened her  
mouth to speak, but, uncharacteristically, words failed her, and she realized that she couldn't. *Not now,* she soothed herself, *but  
soon.*  
  
*****  
  
Lun@ looked one way, then the other. Everybody should be out, doing... tourist-y things, leaving her all alone. The temple  
priestess was sick of her, and had ever so kindly told her so, so Rei wouldn't be interrupting...  
  
Reaching under her pillow, she gently drew out the small object that she had found clutched in her very own hand. Unlike  
before, however, she paused to decipher from whence it came.  
  
And, maybe, how to put it back.  
  
It was small, really; it fit neatly in the palm of her hand, and the smooth, warm material that it was made of soothed her heart,  
still heavy from last night. The mysterious object was simple in design and non-descript in color; it's silver-y, grey-ish color left it  
looking rather as if it were lacking something.  
  
"Okay," she told herself resolutely, "let's discuss this rationally. Fact: when Mamoru and I locked hands last night, I felt power.  
Fact: when I woke up, it was in my hand. Fact: Scully and Buffy were the only ones to deal with me while I was visiting Lala  
Land. Fact: neither of them know--neither of them admit to knowing anything about it. Fact: I don't know squat about it. Fact:  
I'm so... confused..." She held up the hand not clutching the object and buried her face in it, clutching her eyes shut. "Stupid...  
hormones..." she whispered, allowing her newly-found mortality to be the scapegoat for her hormones. "M-messin' me up..."  
  
The small gray rod in her hand, no longer than a pencil, pulsed gently in her oblivious grasp as she struggled not to cry.  
  
*****  
  
"Very good, Buffy. You've shown a great deal of improvement in the last couple days." Giles absently cleaned his glasses on his  
shirt. "Your technique has already improved."  
  
"Giles, I'm doing basics," Buffy growled, hitting at the tree with a vengeance she'd like to demonstrate on her absent instructor.  
"Where is the little spore right now?"  
  
"In the room, I think. Buffy, don't you think you're acting a little... strange about this whole Sailor Senshi thing?"  
  
"Giles," the short blonde replied, frustrated, "last night there was one of these very dead warriors in the temple, and I find out  
that they aren't so dead because the nice temple priestess who's been letting us stay at her temple is one of these people and  
she's trying to kill my guardian angel!"  
  
Giles blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what his pupil said. "I... I see..." He cleared his throat, a clear signal of his  
bewilderment. "Well... ah... I'm sure the Sailor Senshi don't really want to kill Lun@. Didn't you say they were speaking quite  
civilly this morning?"  
  
"Well, they were, but why hasn't Lun@ come back yet??" Buffy whirled around and began delivering blows to the trunk of the  
hapless tree in furious succession. "She SAYS she's my guardian, but when does she ever guard me? Hell, no, all she does is sit  
there on her rump and make unHELPful, unWANTed comments, when all I want to do is..." Buffy sighed. "I just want to be left  
alone sometimes."  
  
"Buffy..." Giles started gently.  
  
"I know, I know, Slayer, chosen one, sacred duty, yadda, yadda, yadda. Kill baddies, champion the universe, don't break any  
nails. Y'know, sometimes being a hero really bites. There's no Me Time. I want some time filled with ME." She smiled, a little  
embarrassed. "That just sounded really stuck up, didn't it?"  
  
"Less yap, more thwap. I want to be a little more entertained by your knuckles screaming for mercy." Lun@ smiled a little,  
softening her harsh words. "C'mon. Ten more minutes of Mr. Tree until lunch."  
  
"After lunch?" Buffy asked hopefully.  
  
"Well," Lun@ winked, "if you're good, maybe we can spar a little. Some womano-a-womano."  
  
"It's pathetic how good that sounds," Buffy muttered, delivering a round of punches and kicks at the target on the tree.   
  
"More from the hip, less from the shoulder," was Lun@'s only comment. "You're relying on your muscles rather than your  
momentum for power."  
  
Buffy just rolled her eyes.  
  
*****  
  
"You know, sometimes life just isn't fair," Buffy continued her tirade.  
  
Willow made a noise of appreciation.  
  
"I mean, here I am, almost half-way across the world, and I'm fighting the forces of evil. And, then there's the vamps..."  
  
"Hey, y'know, at least your boyfriend's all ready here," Willow grumbled. "I have to wait 'till tomorrow for Oz to fly over." She  
kicked a rock. "I can't believe he had to play another couple gigs with his band! It just sucks!"  
  
Buffy heard a noise rustling behind them. "Speaking of things that suck..." She eagerly pulled out a stake.  
  
A purple vampire with blue fur lightly covering its body burst out from behind them. "ArrGGGGGGGG!"  
  
Buffy and Willow blinked. "Well, here's something you don't see everyday."  
  
"It's actually really sad, in a funny sort of way."  
  
Lunging for the mutant vamp, Buffy drove the spike through its heart with little trouble. "I have to admit, that was mostly pity."  
  
"I guess it's a good thing that he couldn't see his reflection. Poor thing would've had no self esteem."  
  
The Slayer turned back to her best friend. "But, anyway, Will, what should I do about Lun@? She's driving me postal!"  
  
The red head sighed. "Oh, Buffy, don't you think you're over-reacting just a tad? I mean, sure, she can be a little heartless at  
times, but she's only--" She stopped at the look on Buffy's face.  
  
"Will? Best friend? Whose side are you on?"  
  
"Yours, of course!" the other girl stuttered. "I was just saying..." She fell silent at the noise behind them. Buffy apprehensively  
pulled out her trusty stake.  
  
Lun@ burst in, eyes wide. "Buffy - there's - a - vampire - following - me, - except - he's - not - really - a - vampire - he's -  
more - of - a - big - hairy - ape - from - a - skittles - commercial - and - he's - not - dying - when - I - stake - him - and - here  
- he - comes - so - I'm - going - to - go - now--bye!" She raced off in a panic.  
  
Buffy and Willow exchanged a glance. "A big, hairy ape from a Skittles commercial?"  
  
"You understood that?"  
  
Suddenly, a large, brightly-colored monster charged out of the bushes, made a strangled noise, and trudged in the direction that  
Lun@ had gone, making wheezing noises as he walked.  
  
Buffy and Willow blinked and exchanged another glance.  
  
"And the plot thickens."  
  
*****  
  
*THINK, DAMN YOU!!!* Lun@ panted heavily from behind her tree as she waited for the Giant Walking Skittle to find her. *You  
KNOW you have brains!! USE THEM!!!*   
  
Unfortunately, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what to do.  
  
Obviously, there was some connection she was missing. *Maybe runes...*  
  
She squished that thought under her thumb quickly. *If I don't try, I can't see how bad I am at it. Maybe if I just ignore it,  
it'll fix itself. Oh, yeah, right, Diab. If you believe that, better start lookin' for that bridge for sale...* She fiddled nervously  
with the edge of her sleeve. *I can't just leave it here to terrorize Toky--*  
  
"Hold it right there!"  
  
Lun@ made a noise that resembled "eep!" as her heart jumped smack-dab into the middle of her throat and took up residence  
there.  
  
"I am the Sailor Soldier of Love and Justice, Eternal Sailor Moon! On behalf of the Moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over  
evil, and that means you!" The gorgeous blonde descended from the tree branch and landed heavily on the ground.  
  
The Skittle made a gurgling noise and threw itself at her.  
  
Eternal Sailor Moon ducked and dodged the attack like an expert, making noises like one who'd never done this before. "Hah!  
Take this, Ugly-head!! Although," she began introspectively, "you do look a bit like candy..."  
  
Skittle made a pained noise.  
  
"Eternal Sailor Moon, kill it!" Lun@ exclaimed, worried that the girl might try something strange--like eating it.  
  
"Of course!" She pulled out her scepter for the attack. "STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY... KISS!" The magic  
streamed out of the plastic- looking wand in purple rays, bathing Skittle in a radioactive light.  
  
It moaned something in its own grotesque language, but seemed otherwise unaffected.  
  
Eternal Sailor Moon gasped.  
  
Lun@ groaned. *Looks like leaving the task up to her is not an option...* Pulling on her mysterious black robe, she prepared  
to join the wingéd female. "Where are all your helpful friends?" she grumbled.  
  
"Where are yours?" the other shot back.  
  
"A good question," Lun@ agreed, chancing a look around her as Eternal Sailor Moon distracted the enemy by just barely  
dodging his attacks in what appeared to be uncomfortable manners. Lun@ spared the warrior a wince, "to which I have no  
answer." She began her own dodging, but paused to kick it in the head.  
  
Yet again, it made but a strangled, pleading reply. "Please kill me," it seemed to beg.  
  
Eternal Sailor Moon began to power up her attack again, but Skittle reached out and knocked the scepter out of her hand, a bit  
of a ways away.  
  
This was not good.  
  
"It's looking pretty tight for our heroes," Lun@ quipped as she racked her brain for a rune to throw.  
  
Unfortunately, none came to her.  
  
She tightened her fist before she realized there was something in it: that stupid gray pencil-thing again. Growling, she dove under  
a slash aimed at her mid-section and found herself suddenly next to Eternal Sailor Moon's discarded rod. Snatching it up, she  
noticed a strange sensation:  
  
The two objects seemed to be pulling towards each other.  
  
Bloody odd, that's what it was. Now that she noticed it, it was even stronger than before. "Uh..." The attraction peaked  
suddenly, and the two objects snapped together before the magnetism was lost. *I hope I didn't just break her weapon...*  
"Eternal Sailor Moon! Catch!" She heaved the wand over the head of the Skittle to where the Senshi of the Moon awkwardly  
caught it.  
  
The Senshi took a deep breath and paused.  
  
It seemed to Lun@ a very odd moment in time, as if something was happening, but only Eternal Sailor Moon was aware of  
what it was.  
  
And then she began her attack: "ETERNAL SUNSHINE THERAPY IMPACT!!" she cried, and the formerly purple rays  
turned to a bright white, like the blinding light of the sun, and Lun@ was forced to turn her face as the creature exploded with a  
freedom-letting moan.  
  
The sound of applause brought Lun@ and Eternal Sailor Moon from their shocked state as Buffy and Willow and a couple of  
the other brightly-colored senshi voiced their approval. "Not too shabby," Buffy praised, and staked a vampire.  
  
*****  
  
From across the street, two people exchanged a credulous glance. "I've seen it, but I'm still not quite sure if I believe it," one of  
them said to the other.  
  
"What's it mean, Mulder?"  
  
"Our case just got a hell of a lot more interesting."  
  
*****  
  
The group stared at each other from opposite sides of the room.  
  
"The Slayer, eh?"  
  
"The Sailor Senshi, eh?"  
  
The silence was painfully tangible.  
  
"This is ridiculous." Lun@'s disdainful voice carried to the far reaches of the room, and suddenly she had everyone's attention.  
"Okay, let's just make a few things relatively opaque before we just dive on in for our goodly fun. First of all, nobody here is  
contagious. Segregation is an unnecessary precaution. Second of all, Mulder, Scully, stop listening at the door and just come on  
it. This'll probably concern you, too. It usually does. Third of all, let me just start off the group revelations by--" she shrunk into  
dog form and moved over to where some of the senshi were and flopped down with a doggie sigh.  
  
Mulder and Scully opened the door cautiously, a little embarrassed at being caught, as Rei jumped up, smoke shooting from her  
ears.  
  
"YOU! YOU'RE THAT DAMN DOG!!!" Her face was fire-truck red.  
  
Lun@ made a doggie snort as Re's friends and Dander giggled.  
  
"Calm down, Rei," the blue haired one smiled at her pissed friend. "There's no need to get homicidal."  
  
"She almost bit me!"  
  
"You were trying to magic me!" Buffy cried, jumping up.  
  
Her hunky boyfriend came forward from the shadows and placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. His warning, "Buffy," was  
soft and comforting.  
  
Rei frowned. That evil presence was growing closer again... and it was coming from--  
  
"Akuryo Taisan!" The piece of paper whipped out of where ever its hiding place was and began to fly toward the vampire in  
their midst.  
  
Lun@ was up and flying towards it before the temple priestess even finished the chant. Realizing at the last second that she had  
misjudged the distance and couldn't catch it in her mouth, she barked.  
  
Buffy came to the same conclusion at the same time and, being a woman of action, knocked the out of the way with a sweep of  
her hand. Unfortunately, the charm's new trajectory was in a collision course with Lun@.  
  
The small gray dog emitted a little yelp as she twisted her body to avoid the powerful charm, misjudged, and fell to the floor,  
hard, caught up in the power of the charm.  
  
"Diab!" Angel cried, picking up the tiny gray dog and cradling it away from Rei. Looking up, he growled, "What are you  
doing?!"  
  
The tiny body began to convulse, and everyone looked on worriedly as Lun@'s breathing became ragged.  
  
"He's a vampire!" Rei shouted, pointing at Angel. The rest of the senshi gasped and stood, ready for battle if need be.  
  
"If he's a vampire, you can't be the Slayer!" Makoto challenged, fists raised.  
  
"That's right!" Minako chimed in. "What did you do with the Vampire Slayer?"  
  
Angel growled and tightened his grip on her, looking for a person he could toss Lun@ to if he had to fight. Preferably, someone  
who could catch her. *Why, in situations like this, Xander the only person I can easily find?!*  
  
Ami already had her mini supercomputer out, analyzing the man. "He's undead, all right--but there's a powerful binding spell on  
him."  
  
Angel looked away. "I used to kill a lot of people... until I was cursed by Gypsies." He began to relive a few quick, especially  
painful moments of his past.  
  
"I don't understand." Usagi smiled at him sadly, forgiving. "Please explain."  
  
Giles removed his glasses and began to polish them. "When a person is made into a vampire, they lose their soul--the ability to  
feel remorse, or to distinguish between good and evil. They live for fun, and killing is a great part of that."  
  
"So what you're saying is that..."  
  
"One day," Angel began, cradling his old friend a little, "I killed the wrong girl. A gypsy. Dumb as a post. To get even with me,  
the gypsies returned my soul."  
  
"He bats for our team now," Xander over-simplified.  
  
"Do you... do you realize... what... what you could have... have done?" Lun@ croaked out between gasps. "That curse has...  
has gone... who knows where... You could have rid him of his... soul... or sent him to... to Hell."  
  
Rei was pale. "I'm sorry!"  
  
"You should... shouldn't mess with what... what you don't... understand..." She coughed, weakly. "You make those charms  
really... well..."  
  
"A vampire?" Mulder looked between the two factions and raised his eyebrows. "Is that the kind that turns into bats, or just  
needs the blood, or the kind that's just a demon?"  
  
"None," muttered Angel, and his face contorted into his Vampire One. "The kind that nightmares are made of."  
  
Setting Lun@ down on a pillow, they sat down and began to trade information.  
  
*****  
  
Ami frowned. Something was wrong with that Girl-Dog.  
  
"Lun@?" she asked. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Fine..." the small, gray dog murmured. "I'm just..." she choked a little on her words and coughed a little more. "I... she makes  
those charms really well..."  
  
The frown deepened. "It's been hours since you were hit. The effects usually wear off after a half-hour... max."  
  
Lun@ gave a little doggie-shrug and wheezed.  
  
Ami took out her mini-supercomputer and her Mercury visor. "Do you mind if I scan you...?"  
  
"... Go ahead." Lun@ coughed a little. "Do I... have to move?"  
  
Ami adjusted her visor and began tapping away at her computer. "No, you're fine. This should only take a second."  
  
When the results flickered onto the screen a few seconds later, Ami's frown did not turn upside down.  
  
"What is it, Lady Mercury?" Lun@ cocked her head and blinked her eyes languidly.  
  
"Ami," the girl corrected. "Call me Ami."  
  
Lun@ shrugged--well, she did the best she could as a dog. "Okay, Ami... What is it?"  
  
"Well... it looks as if you... are you... This is going to sound strange, but are you going through some sort of... conversion right  
now?"  
  
"Well... I used to be undead..."  
  
Ami gave her a sharp look of disbelief.  
  
"I got better..." Lun@ added weakly. "I don't know, I just... stopped... being... dead." She coughed a couple times.  
  
"Well," Ami removed her visor and absorbed the information, "it looks like your body was still going through the conversion,  
and Rei's charm just disrupted things for a moment." She closed the calculator- like computer with a click and patted the dog on  
the head. "Have you been having hormonal problems lately?"  
  
"Uh..." If it had been possible, Lun@ would have blushed.  
  
"Your body's just over-compensating," Ami reassured. "If you're still having problems in a few weeks, you should see a doctor."  
  
"Yeah, okay. If I'm not too busy. You recommend anyone?"  
  
"My mother's a doctor..."  
  
"That's cool. Is that what you want to be?"  
  
For a small moment, Ami's eyes lost their ever-present mealoncholy and glowed with passion. "Oh, yes. I'm going to be the best  
doctor around!"  
  
From across the room, Mamoru overheard this comment and gave the blue-haired girl a little wink.  
  
Ami blushed.  
  
*****  
  
Lun@ stood slowly. "My poor, aching bones..." she mumbled in a creaky voice. "I should get a Senior Citizen's discount."  
Shaking off the creaks of her "old age", she trotted out the door, away from the temple, to stand on big hill and watch the moon.  
  
"Things are building," she whispered quietly to the foliage around her. "I can't... I'm not sure that I'll be able to keep up with  
them for long. The Sailor Senshi.. they've got the right idea with this secret identity thing..." she chuckled. "I wish we'd thought of  
that." Shifting lightly into her human body, she began to absently toy with her cross, the only remnant left from her Diabolique  
days. "Well, as they say on The Highlander..." she frowned, unable to remember the quote. "'Something... something... Live to  
fight another day.' Eat/Sleep? Learn/Grow? Love/Hate? Did I even get that last part right? Crap..."  
  
The vampire watched her from the shadows, a maniac little grin on his contorted face. "Oh, my pretty..." He cackled a little.  
"The Bosses are just gonna love this!"  
  
*****  
  
"Scully, can I ask you a question?"  
  
The red head looked at her partner. *Hell, why not? Let's just humor him.* "Shoot."  
  
"... Are you okay?" Mulder ran an uneasy hand through his hair and looked down from the sky to look her right in the eye.  
  
"Mulder, I'm--"  
  
"Fine?" He grinned sardonically.  
  
"...Not exactly," she said guilty. "Mulder..."  
  
He handed her a tissue as something hard began to form a tight curl in the pit of his stomach. "It's back, isn't it?" he told her, grin  
melting into something more sinister. "You've been hiding it."  
  
"Mulder, it's not your fault." She turned to look back at the moon, finding this conversation all she'd dreaded and more.  
  
"Don't tell me that--"  
  
"Why, so you can become a martyr to your own cause? So you can get twisted up in your own emotions and block me out  
again?"  
  
"So, when were you going to tell me?" he asked as she blotted at the blood coming from her nose. His eyes were hard, and it  
was a hard struggle to beat his temper.  
  
"Soon."  
  
There was a pause as they both struggled for words.  
  
"This is my last case," Scully finally blurted out.  
  
It was the wrong thing to say.  
  
"How long?"  
  
Another pause.  
  
"The doctors estimate... two months."  
  
"But, Scully..." Mulder swallowed, trying to hide his tears, "your cancer was gone..."  
  
"Dammit, Mulder," Scully spit out tensely, "'Remission' isn't the same as 'cured', and you know it! ...I'm sorry." Her tone  
softened. "I didn't mean to snap..." Her own eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry..."  
  
And Mulder looked through his tear-blurred eyes at the thin woman before him and realized that, as usual, he should have  
guessed. *I should have known! I should have...*  
  
His line of thought changed. *I should... I should...*  
  
*****  
  
The moonlight cascaded gently down onto the still forms of two grieving adults wrapped in each other's strength-giving  
embrace.  
  
Lun@ turned and slunk away from view, feeling like an intruder. "They're so close to comfort... so close, and yet, so far..." 


	17. The One Where it Goes to H-E-Double-Hock...

Disclaimer: I wish.  
  
*****  
  
Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?  
  
*****  
  
The man in the shadows raised one strong hand to her. "Beware."  
  
Scully began to draw impatient. "What? What's going on?" she  
demanded again. "What do you want me to beware? Give me a hint!"  
  
The background changed around them in flashes of red. The FBI agent  
caught glimpses of some of the pictures flashing behind the red:  
  
A vampire.  
  
A streak of something.  
  
A flash of grey.  
  
A person in white--no, silver--no, white--  
  
Another picture. Too fast!  
  
They were coming too fast!  
  
"Noooooooooo!" Scully cried, clamping her hands to her face. "NO!"  
  
And her nose bled on.  
  
*****  
  
Lun@ stretched uneasily. Yesterday's--actually, this morning's--  
series of events weighed uncomfortably on her mind. What was she  
doing?  
  
Rising from her cot and padding silently to the door, she began to  
reason with herself. *Does anyone ever really know what they're  
doing? No, of course not! You stumble through life, taking what  
is dealt to you, and working it into your own game plan. But...  
what's my game plan?*  
  
Outside, near the temple stairs, the girl noticed Mulder working  
his calf-muscles in preparation for a run. *He's got the right  
idea.* Softly, she approached him. "Going for a jog?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Want some company?"  
  
"Whatever." Not really.  
  
"Okay, good." Becoming the little dog, she stretched, shook, and  
stretched again, yawning. "Let's go."  
  
The jog went quietly for a while before Lun@ spoke:  
  
"You're angry at her."  
  
"What are you--"  
  
"Don't be angry. It's a difficult subject."  
  
His voice was fastidiously controlled. "You knew."  
  
"I know a lot of things."  
  
There was another pause as they jogged towards the park. "What  
are you?" Mulder finally asked.  
  
"Damned if I know," she replied with the hint of resignation she  
couldn't hide. "I don't know if I've ever known...  
  
"I used to be Death."  
  
"Death."  
  
"Death. That's how you know me. Scully was supposed to be one of  
my clients, but she... you cheated me. You two cheated death."  
  
Rolling his eyes, the FBI agent played along. "What about all the  
times we've courted you?" Mulder asked a bit sarcastically. "Where  
were you then?"  
  
"You forgot my flowers. Chocolate. Long walks in the park..."  
  
They ran in silence as they passed another couple joggers.  
  
"So, this jog could be potentially dangerous to my health?"  
  
"Nah... I was fired. Not scary enough... or something."  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"You're such a flatterer. I'm blushing." They paused for a moment  
to catch their wind. "She needs you."  
  
"Death?"  
  
"Scully. More than you need her. If she's your strength, you're  
hers. This case... these vampires, they're a problem. You've seen how  
Angel looks; those vampires last night were not normal. Staking them  
seems to work, but not everybody has arm strength like Buffy, and  
I'd really rather not leave it all up to Sailor Moon. These creatures  
are a weird dark magic and vampire hybrid, and you guys have seen  
strange things before. You're experianced. You are even semi-versed  
in demon lore. We need you... So, just kiss and make up or whatever,  
'cause this is important."  
  
"Scully and I are just friends. Our relationship is purely  
platonic." He fixed her with a hard look.  
  
He had never known a dog's face could look so skeptical.  
  
"So that's what they're calling it these days."  
  
"Look, what Scully and I are is none of your business, okay? So  
butt out."  
  
"Touché."  
  
"Bet your ass."  
  
*****  
  
"You're sure this is gonna work?"  
  
"Look, you little pissant, SHUT UP already!" Spike threw his  
girlfriend an exasperated look. "Can I eat 'im, love? Please?  
'E's so bloody annoying..."  
  
"Look, you, you..." the man sputtered. "You need me!"  
  
"He's probably give you indigestion," Queen Cancerman murmured dryly.  
"You're sure about this plan?"  
  
"I already sent the Bots to take care of 'er."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
*****  
  
"Sir, the law says you need to have your dog on a leash." The  
policeman narrowed his eyes at Mulder.  
  
"I'm sorry offic--what dog?"  
  
"Why, that dog right--" The officer frowned as he looked for the  
grey dog that the man had been jogging with only moments before.  
"Where'd he go?"  
  
"I don't own a dog, sir. I was just jogging." Mulder motioned towards  
the park when the officer looked like he was going to protest. "May  
I continue, sir? I need to be back in time to get to work."  
  
"Carry on, then," the puzzled man told him gruffly, one last  
glare an attempt to salvage his wounded pride.  
  
Mulder jogged off, glancing at the girl now at his side. "That was  
cruel," he told her mildly.  
  
She shrugged a little. "But handy."  
  
"True," he conceded. "So, tell me a little about being De--"  
  
His inquiry was interrupted by a Giant Robot stepping in front of  
them. "Target found."  
  
Mulder and Lun@ exchanged concerned looks.  
  
"Retrival initiated."  
  
"The Hell?!" Lun@ yelped as the robot reached for her. She looked  
around at all the bystanders, who stood around, mouths agape.  
"Someone, HELP!! Call the police!!"  
  
Delivering a round of painful-sounding kicks and punches to the  
machine, she emitted an uncharacteristic squeal of surprise and outrage  
as the robot deftly picked her up around the middle.  
  
"Mulder!" she screamed, and he already had his gun out and pointed at  
her captor.  
  
"FBI! Let her go!" he hollered before firing. The bullets had about  
as much effect as Diab's earlier ringing blows: absolutely nothing.  
  
The creature frowned, however, and turned towards Mulder. "Threat  
discovered."  
  
"Oh, shit." Mulder fired again, this time aiming for the "head" of  
the robot.  
  
The bullet made a "ping"-ing noise as it glanced off of the shiney  
metallic skin. "Eliminate," decided the robot.  
  
"Mulder, run!" Lun@ yelled, squirming. "Go get the senshi!"  
  
Mulder fired at the Robot again. "Release her!"  
  
"Mulder!" Lun@ struggled frantically to trace symbols of power in  
the air, but they refused to flow out of her fingertips. "Work,  
damn you!" she demanded, almost in tears. But instead, all that  
trickled into her hand was that annoying grey rod that she had _sworn_  
she had left under her pillow. With only a second glance at it,  
she heaved it at Mulder, screaming, "CATCH!!"  
  
He snagged it out of the air as the Robot raised it's arm and fired.  
The laser beam shot out straight towards Mulder.  
  
He ducked and rolled, neatly missing the shot. It flew behind him  
into a tree, where it hit a tree branch that came crashing down.  
  
Right on his head.  
  
"Threat eliminated."  
  
"MULDER!" Something flashed in Lun@'s eyes, and a bit of Diabolique  
began to return to her. *Scully's gonna KILL me...* "Did you  
kill him, you hunk of scrap metal?!" She writhed, furious. "You  
are SO dead!" Her hands flew up and began to weave the mystical,  
deadly signs of short-circut--  
  
--And fell back to her sides as the robot conked her over the  
head. "Target sedated."  
  
Witnesses could still see the glint of the early morning sun reflecting  
off her Death's Cross, the lone symbol of her previous life, as she was  
carried off by the lumbering metal giant.  
  
*****  
  
Scully frowned and looked at her watch again. As usual, Mulder  
was late.  
  
Taking another sip of tea, she dialed the number of his cell phone  
and impatiently awaited the man's answer. Even Mulder wouldn't leave  
without his cell phone--especially not since the re-appearance of her  
cancer...  
  
"Hello?" a strange voice answered.  
  
Scully gave her phone a doubtful look, as if it was the cause of this  
strange occurance. "Who is this?" *Don't tell me he lost *another*  
cell phone...* she prayed.  
  
"I'm Hikaru Tometsu."  
  
"...Is Mulder there? Can I talk to him?"  
  
*****  
  
He was just waking up when she arrived in the hospital. "Mulder!  
What happened?!"  
  
"Had a fight."  
  
"The tree won."  
  
"Actually, I think it was the giant robot."  
  
Scully raised her ever-ready "Skeptical Eyebrow", reserved for all  
such fantastic situations. "I think you hit your head harder than  
we thought."  
  
"This is going to sound strange--"  
  
"Mulder, it already does."  
  
"Then you're never gonna believe that we were just jogging along,  
minding our own business, when--"  
  
The question of "we" was on the tip of the red head's tongue when  
Buffy poked her head in the door. "I'm sorry to bother you, Agent  
Mulder, but have you seen Lun@? Nobody's seen her all morning."  
  
He sighed and let his head fall back to his pillow. "I guess that  
answers that question."  
  
"Which?"  
  
"Whether or not she got away."  



	18. Mortality Blows

Buffy, part 17 Yellow Roses, part 17: "Mortality Blows" By [Cassima][1]

==========================================================

Summary: Lun@ chats up Spike; Mulder hates hospital food; the Buffy bullies the police.

Author's note: Okay, some of this is gimmicky... but I like it. ;) Oh, and I apologize right now for Akisha... it seemed funny at the time.

==========================================================

_"I'm torn between a clever retort and the pleasure of hitting you over the head."_

--Yvonne's daily notes

==========================================================

She woke up in a dark, cold room, head still aching from the earlier blow. "Well... so that's fun," she murmured, gingerly touching her head. When the lump turned out to be not as bad as she thought, she allowed her fingers to delicately peruse the injury. "We shall have to do that again sometime."

"Oh, we will, believe me," an evil voice came out of the shadows.

"Oh, goodie," she said with false delight. "Spike, old chap! My favoritest vampire in the whole wide world! Oh, I think I may burst from excitement!" She clapped her hands with false glee and stifled a wince as the echo momentarily augmented the thundering in her head.

"I thought you would want to skip this silly battle banter. Oh, joy, now we can trade insults!"

"Well, I wouldn't want to deprive you your forte."

"But..." Spike growled happily, "I have here the great Death, bane of the all realms, Diabolique!"

"We've imprisoned Death herself..." Drusilla murmured from the doorway in her dreamy way.

"Ex-Death," Lun@ corrected Dru. "I was forced to abdicate."

"Whatever," Spike cheerfully replied. "In any case, I've been ready for this for years!"

"Oh?"

"After all, it's not every day that a Vampire holds the life of a legendary angel in his hands." His grin was not pretty.

Lun@ restrained a shudder.

==========================================================

"So, basically, a robot walks in, picks a person up, and _walks away_, right in front of two of your officers, and no one does a damn thing about it? They didn't follow it or try to rescue her or something?!" Buffy narrowed her eyes at the Sargent. "What exactly do the police DO over here, ticket jaywalkers?!"

"Among other things," the man replied, a tad squeamish.

"So, you only occasionally work kidnapping cases." Xander lifted his eyebrows. "Does that sound a little off to anyone else?"

"A giant robot appears, and all you people do is stand and look silly? Isn't that taking this self-preservation thing a little too far? What's next, a murderer is let go because he's a little too big to fit in your jail?"

"What's going on here?" A man wearing a badge displaying "Srgt. Ino" marched into the room. "This is not a circus!"

"Our friend was kidnapped, and you guys did nothing!" Buffy shouted.

"Yeah!" Xander echoed.

"Friends of the Giant Robot Victim," one of the cadets whispered to his boss. "Tourists, from the states."

Mr. Ino silently groaned. It was going to be a long, tough day.

==========================================================

She looked the blond vampire straight in the eye. "Okay, so... what happens now?"

"How about I torture you?"

She blinked. "What for? How do you know I won't be forthcoming with whatever you want to know?"

He chuckled. "Because you're one of the goodie two-shoes! It's not in you!"

Lun@ fixed him with a look that contained a distict element of the previous Diabolique. "Try me."

"No need to get huffy," he cackled. "So, tell me the names of the Sailor Senshi brats!"

"That's it?!" she exclaimed, disappointed. "That's what this is all about?! Well, I'm disappointed, Spike. Frankly, I expected better. This is just not up to your usual par."

"The names!" He cracked his whip close to her face.

"Honest to goodness, take a chill pill! Well, there's Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Neptune-- I would've thought you'd've caught on by no--OW!" she yelped, holding her shoulder. "What'd you do that for?!"

"That's very good, for an ex-angel. I was actually looking for their identities. You know, Bill Clinton, Elvis Presly--"

"Elvis? I don't think there's a Sailor Elvis--"

"Madonna, that sort of thing, not their bloody call signs!" He cracked his whip again.

"I'm not going to tell you that!" Lun@ protested indignantly. "Who do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Oh, no, dear, not an idiot. Not you. You're too clever. You know exactly what I want and how to do some pretty clever tricks; fortunately, I know some even cuter bits. So, feel free not to tell me; it's been so long since I've used a whip that I'm a bit out of practice. It could be sloppy." The tip of the whip licked her cheek, and she raised her other hand to the new wound. "Now, why don't you tell Uncle Spike what's in that clever little head of yours..."

"Don't be an ass, Spike. Just hit me and get it over with."

"Oh, I will hit you, and I'll be an ass about it." He wound up and brought the whip down, hard.

Raising her arm, she caught the blow and yanked the whip out of his loose grasp. "Don't DO that!" she exclaimed, losing her good nature. "Damn it all, that hurts!" She smacked him across the face with the whip handle, and he turned with it, leaving his back to her, which she glared at balefully. "How do _you_ like it, you big turkey?" He stood straighter, back still to her. "Look, why don't we just accept it and move on? I'm not gonna talk, and you're just gonna hit me, and I'm still not gonna talk. We're semi-civilized creatures; why don't we just agree we're at an impasse."

He turned around slowly, holding his cheek. His face was contorted into it's vampiric mask, and he growled a little. "Oh, yeah, this is gonna be _fun_."

She gulped a little and held onto the whip a little tighter, her only advantage.

With a sudden movement, he kicked her, and in retaliation, she swung the whip back at him. This time, though, it was he who caught it; and she was back to square one: shackled to a cold, cement floor in dirty jeans and a torn tee shirt, feeling more scared than she ever remembered being.

==========================================================

Mulder turned the grey stick in his hands again. It looked like a plain metal rod, but why would Lun@ throw it to him? It was seamless, solid-colored, smooth, and hand-sized.

"What is that, Mulder?" Scully asked curiously.

"I don't know," he answered, handing it to her. "Lun@ threw it to me before the tree and I met up close and personal."

Scully frowned. It seemed familiar, somehow... "Did she say anything when she gave it to you?"

"'Catch'?" He shrugged, mindful of his bruised shoulder. "Honestly, it sits there and taunts me. I can only think of one possibility of what it could be, and I don't know why she'd be carrying it around and throwing it to me."

Scully sent him a questioning glance.

"Her favorite dildo?"

She didn't give him the satisfaction of a disgusted expression, though she seriously considered it for a moment. "I don't think so, Mulder."

"What is that?" came a sudden voice. Turning toward the doorway, they noticed a tall woman of about 25 years with long black-green hair. She strode to them in large steps, snatching the wand up and looking at it with a haunted expression. "Where did you get this?"

The two agents exchanged a glance. "A friend," Mulder said. "Why? Do you know what it is?"

The woman ran her fingers along the object. "It is a... power source." She blinked and suddenly looked timeless. "I didn't know she would return," she murmured to herself.

"Excuse me?"

The green haired woman spared them a glance before handing the wand back to them. "Thank you, agents. You've been very helpful."

She turned gracefully and left them there, confused.

Scully's expression grew distracted as she struggled to recall the name that went with the familiar face. "Sailor Pluto?"

"Scully," Mulder whispered, handing her a tissue.

"Oh..." she replied, dabbing at the blood oozing from her nose.

==========================================================

"I've got other business to attend to, you know," Spike admitted casually. "I can't stay here all day."

"And we were just getting to know each other so well," Lun@ commented weakly, wiping a trickle of blood from her eye. "I hate to see you go, ending our lovely date so soon."

"But I hate to leave my work half-done," Spike continued with his usual predatory smile, "so I've brought in a friend."

"Ooo... toga party time." Everything hurt so...

"Not quite." A grinning man-form stepped from the shadows. He was almost demonic, but there was an air of otherworldliness that clung to him. "My name is Akisha... and you will rue the day you first heard my name!" the not-demon snarled with laughter.

Lun@ rolled her eyes. "Considering what a shitty day this has been, that's not really any wonderous pronouncement."

"Shut up!" it snapped, laughter gone.

Spike's amused look grew.

Lun@ shrugged listlessly. "Whatever."

"See, the thing is... I don't really care if you talk." Akisha's smile glittered.

Lun@ and Spike exchanged a skeptical glance. "You don't?"

"Yes, you do," Spike told him, a bit annoyed.

"I do? Well, that's no fun! Can't I just torture her for fun? Just for a little?" The demon pouted a little.

Lun@ bit her bruised lip to keep from giggling hysterically. This really wasn't funny. "You sure you got one of the best there, Spike?"

"You can have fun _while_ you're torturing her, but the point is to get her to give us the information!"

"I think he's broken. Get a new one." She unobtrusively rubbed a bruise.

"You stay out of this!" Spike snapped.

"Like bloody hell I will!" she snapped back. "What if I change my mind and decide to spill the beans while you take your little holiday and Akky here--I can call you Akky, right?--decides to look at my entrails rather than write down the information? I want my 'out' there, even if I don't intend on using it."

"You don't like him, do you?" Spike asked in a pitying tone.

"Spike... he's _orange_... must you offend my delicate sensibilities?"

"Hey, do you have something against orange demons?" Akisha began. "That is so offending! You know, we have feelings, too!"

"Oh, shut your yap, you big baby! You Oranges are just a disgrace to the rest of demonkind." She turned to Spike, also offended. "Honestly, you couldn't do better than an Orange?"

"Everyone better was previously booked," Spike admitted.

"That's it, I've had it!" Akisha threw up his hands and stepped back. "I can't possibly work with a bigot!"

"BIGOT?" Lun@ squealed. "Just 'cause I think you and your Mama are ugly?! Please!"

"You couldn't _beg_ me to torture you! I'm out of here!" He stormed out, furious.

"Fine, then!" she screamed after him, her voice still hoarse from the last time she'd screamed in pain. "Just go! See if I miss you!"

Spike's eye began to twitch. "I can't believe he just walked out!" he cried plantitively. "Just like that! He's supposed to be one of the best, you know!"

"I know it's hard to get good help these days, but that was ridiculous," she replied sulkily. "I am _so_ offended. I'm not talking to you right now."

"Well, fine. Just sit here!" He gave her a furious kick in the thigh, and another in the ribcage, just to spite her. "I'll be back!" With that, he left to follow the soon-to-be-dead Akisha.

When he was gone, she cushioned her head with her hands against the wall. _Nope,_ she told herself happily, _you've still got it._

==========================================================

"Damn her, anyway!" Spike muttered, wiping orange blood off his hands. "Bloody angels!"

"Poor Spike," Drusilla sing-songed, "so alone in his torture. But, your Dru could help."

He paused for a moment and smiled. "That's right, pet. There's more than one way to break an angel..."

==========================================================

Somewhere in the shadows, the other prisoner lay, huddled, cloaked in the dark. Her cuts and bruises had only partially healed before being covered with more cuts and bruises. She knew she was expendable, kept strictly for the entertainment of the vampires and the Queen, but she couldn't shake the hope that maybe, somewhere, her sisters were still alive... maybe they would come to rescue her...

And she worried about the New Girl. New Girl was powerful and dangerous, and the vampires liked that combination. And she was lonely, which made her, despite her strong mind, easily broken.

So lonely...

The girl shivered in sympathy.

This New Girl... she would be broken soon... and then...

What then...?

==========================================================

   [1]: mailto:black_cassima@hotmail.com



	19. Three Minus One

Yellow Roses, part 18 Yellow Roses, part 18: "Three Minus One" By [Cassima][1]

==========================================================

Summary: Bad news arrives for Sailor Mercury; Lun@ dreams.

Author's note: I am in no way responsible for the workings of my twisted mind. I was terribly sick with brocchitus when I wrote this, and I blame everything on it. Everything. Um, and there's possibly some OOC Cordelia. Yeah, sorry, I'm working on that.

Possible Discontinuity note: Okay, I'm sure Oz has a last name. Problem? No clue what it is. So, he's last-nameless. Sorry.

Japanese note: An "Odango" is basically a Japanese dumpling, or big, round noodle that has meat or vegetables in it; the comment refers to Usagi's hair style.

==========================================================

_God was my copilot, but we crashed into the mountains and I had to eat him._

==========================================================

"Xander."

"Cordelia."

"Oz!" an ecstatic voice cried.

"Will!" he acknowledged as the red-head tackled him. "You've been eating your Wheaties."

"Oh, sorry," she murmured, letting go and taking a step back. "It's just... wow. I mean, you look... the same as when I left."

"Yeah, I thought about changing, but it was time-consuming. So, anything exciting happen?"

==========================================================

Rei mentally reviewed the list in her head. Eggs, bread, vegetables, rice, noodles, milk, butter, fish, crackers, chocolate, clam juice, hamburger meat... the list went on and on.

"Makoto, hurry up!" she snapped at her friend.

"Um, Rei," the tall girl tried, muffled by all the packages she was carrying. "I, um, I can't see where I'm going..." She struggled to push a hole for her face around the assorted boxes and bags. "This isn't exactly what I agreed to help with, you know."

Rei's face softened. "I'm sorry, Mako, but I can't possibly carry all of this back to the Shrine by myself."

"Just tell me there isn't anything else on your list."

Rei thought for a minute. "Nothing I can't carry by myself. You head back, okay? I'll follow you in about ten minutes."

"See you!" the tall girl called, and started heading back to Hikawa Shrine.

Stopping at the last market stall, Rei was extrodinarily glad that the Americans had offered to cover the costs of food. "It's not like we're not here on an all-expenses paid free trip, right?" Xander had said with a shrug, and Giles had stopped squirming to write the check.

"Yeah," Buffy had agreed, "I think Synder has been getting off way too easily in the funds department."

The fruit stand was her last stop. She didn't usually shop in the market, but some of the fish and fruit were fresher and cheaper, so she made her way through the crowded stalls.

Selecting a bag of cherries to top off the meal, she turned--

And froze.

Through a break in the people, two men with long ponytails could be seen. They were leaning close to each other so they could hear their own conversation in the din.

The people around them closed her window, though, and she darted off before she lost the familiar faces.

"Yaten! Seiya!" she yelled, grabbing her cherries and racing in their direction.

"Miss!" the cherry seller called after her. "You forgot your change!!" He looked at the yen in his hand. "Oh, well." With a shrug, he stuffed it back in his apron. "A donation to the cause."

==========================================================

Rei couldn't find them. She looked up and down the alleys, around near-by stands... had she even really seen them?

The famous Three Lights. The band that had rocked Japan and the rest of the world with their powerful music. The band that had gone to Juuban High School with Usagi, Ami, Makoto, and Minako. The band that had been the cover for the alien Sailor Senshi Starlights.

She was overworked; she was imagining things. The three Starlights had left, had found their Princess and taken her off this God forsaken planet back to their own world.

So why would they return? Vacation?

No, it didn't make any sense. That's what happens when you're under a lot of stress, scrying with the holy fire for the location of that Lun@, running a temple, playing hostess to more people than she would be sane to host, being Sailor Mars.

She began to walk slowly towards her grandpa's shrine.

"Hey, Rei," came a cheery voice.

Her head whipped around. "Yaten?"

He grinned. "In the flesh!"

"YATEN!" Dropping the cherries, she gave him a huge hug. Yes! She wasn't losing her mind!

"Rei... Rei... Yaten can't breathe." Gasping with relief as she released him, he grinned. "It's good to see you!"

"Where are the rest of the girls?" Seiya asked with a grin. "We were going to wait and surprise you tonight at dinner, but we couldn't wait."

"They're probably at the temple, waiting for me. We were going to have lunch there, and a meeting..." She grinned. "Want to surprise them?"

==========================================================

"I see we're staying in a temple." Oz looked about Hikawa Shrine approvingly. "I like."

"Oh, it's really nice here!" Willow gushed. "Very--uh--quiet."

"It seems peaceful," he agreed.

"Oh!" she cried, "and the Priestess? Who works here? She knows magic."

"That sounds pretty cool. You never told me--did you guys find any vampires here? 'Cause, y'know, if not--free vacation to Japan an' all. I'm not complaining."

The red head looked a little nervous again. "Uh, well, you see... she's been kidnapped."

Oz blinked. "I see." He didn't, but his calm, accepting tone never faltered. "I'm betting that's why the small reception committee."

"Um, yeah. You see, there was this big monster? And, and he tried to kill Agent Mulder--he's with the FBI. He and Agent Scully--that's his partner. She's a little, y'know, sick, but that's not the reason they're at the hospital. I mean, they're okay, well, obviously, they're not okay, 'cause they're at the hospital, and if you're at the hospital and you're okay, they make you go home without any cherry jello, and--"

"Will, focus."

"Oh, yeah." She blinked for a moment to re-direct her thoughts. "Well there was this monster, and he... walked off with her. This morning."

"Sounds painful. We know where she is?"

"Not-not really," Willow stuttered sadly. "Um, we're still looking."

"Oh, Willow!" a voice called, and Minako's head popped over the side of the stairs. "We're back!" She raced over, Haruka and Michiru in tow. "Who's this strapping young man?" she asked rather flirtatiously, sidling up to Oz and giving him a coy glance. "Hi, my name is Minako Aino! Are you Willow's boyfriend?"

Oz blinked as the stream of Japanese ran over his English-born ears. "Um..."

A rush of understanding ran through his girlfriend. "Ooooh..." She turned to Minako, suddenly glad for the language barrier. "He doesn't speak Japanese, Minako, and Lun@'s not here to put the spell on him." Oh, darn! she thought gleefully. "And, yes, he's _my_ boyfriend." She grabbed his hand possessively--and blushed profusly.

==========================================================

Oz was surprised for one of the only times in his life, though he didn't show it. Willow spoke Japanese? What an extrordinary girl...! He learned more and more about her every day.

"Hello," the blonde Japanese girl said again in heavily accented English. "My name is Minako Aino. Pleased to meet you!"

"Oz." He nodded and shook her hand, eyeing the two hovering people in the background. "Nice to meet you, too."

The man exchanged a look with his girlfriend. "Haruka Ten'oh," he said cooly. He didn't offer his hand.

His teal-haired girlfriend seemed amused by it all, but offered her hand to the guitarist of "Dingos Ate My Baby". "Michiru Kaiou. Your flight just arrived in Tokyo?"

He nodded and shook, repressing a shudder at the tingle that raced from her hand through his body. "Yeah, just a couple hours ago." He frowned. "Wait a minute--Kaiou? Michiru Kaiou? I think I've heard of you. You play violin, right?"

She nodded, her smile masking the hardening of her eyes. "I see my music proceeds me."

"I love what you did on your blues CD. You have very talented fingers." There was something about those two... they were hiding something.

Waitaminute... Haruka was a woman.

Nope, that wasn't it. Well, yes, Haruka definitely was lacking in the "y" chromosome department, but that wasn't what these two were hiding. In fact, they seemed to get some sort of inane pleasure out of tricking people--he could see it in their eyes--but there was something else, something dangerous, almost akin to what he himself hid from the world at large.

But, hey, their perogative. He shrugged, but made a note to keep an eye on them. Those two could be incredibly dangerous if they chose to be.

Really, though, the look on Cordelia's face would be priceless.

==========================================================

Cordelia eyed the handsome blond man from her spot next to--but in no means close to--Xander. He was kinda cute... like Angel, in a non-Vampirish kind of way.

"Everyone," Rei sang happily from the door to the room. "Guess who's he-re?"

"Lun@?" Buffy asked hopefully, jumping up. "She escaped?"

"Uh, no, not really." Rei winced as the hope on the American's faces was crushed rather violently. "It's... um... Seiya and Yaten."

"Yeah, right," Minako rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

"What are they saying?" Oz whispered to Willow, head moving back and forth as he tried to follow the conversation.

"Hey, Odango-head!" a familiar voice called out, and the door slid open the rest of the way.

"Seiya!" Usagi squealed, jumping up from the table and running over to black-haired man.

Minako and Makoto followed, crowding around the two men with bright, wide eyes and grinning faces. Michiru and Haruka remained a little farther back, false aloofness covering up their amusement, amazement, and discomfort.

Cordelia watched Haruka, but eyed the two new boys as well. So many hunks, so little time...

Ami remained where she stood, a slight sense of dread worming its way through her.

"How are you?" Minako squealed, flirting outrageously.

Xander cleared his throat loudly. "English for those of us so impaired, please." Cordelia shot him a nasty glare, and he returned it, full force. "For your information, I was talking about Oz. So there!" He stuck his tongue out at Cordelia, who immediately retaliated.

Rei hid her laughter and ignored them, dutifully adressing Oz and the rest of the company in heavily accented English. "Oh, I'm sorry! Let me introduce my guests. Mr. Giles, Ms. Calendar, Buffy Summers, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenburg, Oz... I forget his last name, Cordelia Chase, Angel, these are Seiya Kou and Yaten Kou. Guys, Buffy is the Slayer."

"Hey, hey," Buffy cried, hands on her hips, as Giles sighed deeply. "Do the words 'secret identity' mean nothing to you people?"

"Oh, you're one to talk," Giles muttered at his charge, who sent him a muted glared.

"Sorry," Rei said, abashed.

Giles mumbled something about a world-wide broadcast.

"Didn't you guys have a band?" Oz asked mildly, extending a hand to shake.

"Uh--yeah, for a while," Seiya said with a grin, shaking his hand.

"Your music wasn't too bad."

"'Not too bad'?!" Yaten exclaimed. "We held #1, 2, and 3 on the charts for the entire time we were together! We haven't had a concert in a year, and we're still in the top 20!"

Oz shrugged.

"Hey, come in, guys, sit down," Usagi said eagerly, pulling them away from the door and into the temple. "How long are you here for?"

"A while," Yaten responded with a small smile, momentarily forgetting Oz's insult. "Princess Kakyru told us we could visit."

Ami, silent up until this point, suddenly asked, "Where's Taiki?"

The smiles melted from their faces, and the two men exchanged a pained glance. "He..."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

Yaten sighed. "We have met your new enemy."

The blue haired girl nodded. "Excuse me." Just as quietly as she had spoken, she walked out the door and down the temple steps. 

Usagi started after her friend, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Haruka shaking her head, Michiru right next to her.

"Leave her alone for a while, Usa," the blond woman said quietly.

Reluctantly, the pig-tailed girl nodded and turned back to her new guests. "What can you tell us about them?"

==========================================================

Stifling an uncharacteristic squirm, the man took another pull off his dwindling cigarette. The smoke curled comfortingly around him, almost shrouding him from the ridiculousness of his perdictament. He'd had some strange schemes in his time, but none of them had ever forced him to wear a dress.

The words "Drag Queen" rolled through his mind, and he covered his grimace with another lungfull of nicotine.

The door to his throne room opened with its usual silence as someone entered--one of the Four. His favorite one, actually.

"Liam," he said cooly, unobtrusively adjusting his crown.

The Ancient bowed low. "My Queen." At the man's signal, Liam rose and approached the throne. "I have the modifications you wished right here."

The Cigarette-Smoking Man frowned. "Why haven't they been implimented yet?"

"Well, your majesty," he said, "The only place possibly secure enough to store this much energy would be the Octogon Room, and--well--we have the food stored there now. Ivory was able to expand the refridgidation unit to accomodate all the products that need to be cooled, but the dried foods still need a home."

"What about the dungeon?" the Queen asked mildly, absently lighting another cigarette. "The gross amount of cells we have down there is a frivolous waste of space, considering I'd rather eliminate any possible threats rather than imprision them in the middle of my impenetrable fortress. It could be easily converted."

"We thought of that, your majesty. Jade ran the numbers, though, and we're short about 2 square meters of space."

His Queen stared at him impassively, taking a firm pull off his cigarette.

"That's, uh, about 20 square feet."

Nodding in acceptance, he took a look at the diagrams in the Ancient's hand. "There should be more than enough room," he pointed out.

Liam pointed to the two cells near the entrance of the dungeons. "We have our two prisoners in there, remember? We gave the vampires the first shot at breaking the Angel of Death, and the other prisoner is the one with the special energy. The runes on the walls cut off her magic."

The smoking man handed the documents back. "Put both of them in the same cell."

He bowed. "Your wish is my command, my Queen. I shall inform the rest of the Four imediately."

The Cigarette Smoking Man sat back in his throne, only mildly pleased, and scratched at his shoulder. It looked spiffy, but chiffon was itchy.

==========================================================

She rattled her chains absently, more out of habit than out of any misguided notion that she might escape. She'd been here for--all the days ran together after the first week. Her internal clock seemed to keep fairly good time, however, and she marked the wall everytime they fed her. Assuming two marks per day, she could probably calculate the amount of days she had been locked up here, but since their fortress was in a Pocket Outside the Universe, it was pointless, anyway, damn it.

Damn them. Damn them all!

Her eyes automatically slid to the face of the New Girl. New Girl had been beaten, badly, by that vampire scum, Spike. Lacerations covered her face, and her arms and legs were bloody and bruised, the pale flesh torn. Her long hair was tangled and knotted, and crusty with blood, sweat, and dirt against her skull, and her black robe lay torn against her limbs, stiff with blood and urine. She lay, unchained, where they had left her, unmoving, dead to all rights but her shallow breathing.

She remembered how New Girl had looked Spike in the eye, exhausted beyond all normal reason, and smiled a hard smile that didn't touch her eyes before she cried out and her eyes stared at the wall, memorizing it. New Girl's expressive, old green eyes had gone blank under the hot iron pokers, white from the fire and slightly black with ash.

New Girl had gone off to her own land, the realm within her own mind, and not yet come back to the horrors that shaped reality. Honestly, she wished she could join her.

The cell was dank, lit only dimly by the light bulbs that scattered the cement ceiling throughout the converted warehouse. She wished suddenly, violently for the comfort of her sisters, for their protection and comfort and presence. She prayed for her home, and the places she had learned to call home. The people she called family... that she yearned to call family...

Sudden tears pricked her bright purple eyes, and she blinked them back. She refused to think about What Could Have Been. She refused to mourn for something that hadn't even broken sanctity with words. She would be strong...

She _needed_ to be strong, strong for New Girl. New Girl was breaking slowly, splintering at the soul. She could be someone for New Girl, someone strong and needed. Someone useful. She could force herself to live for New Girl, to survive this Hell...

New Girl stirred and breathed a moan so quiet it was almost air.

"It's okay," she said quietly, not wanting to scare New Girl. "They're gone for now."

New Girl chuckled bitterly, a bit hysterically, though the grim look in her glazed eyes said she knew there was nothing funny about the situation. "I wish I was dead."

"I'm glad you're not," she responded, equally quiet. "I was getting lonely."

"Kalguna," New Girl murmured, eyes straying to the ceiling. "Who is Kalguna?"

She did not answer.

"He is strange... old but not... the keeper of dreams..." New Girl seemed not to notice she was answering her own questions. "He will not let me sleep the sleep of remembrance... let me dream of the past..."

She looked at New Girl oddly, and said nothing. What strange words.

And the pathetic sight of New Girl staring as if through the ceiling inspired a little-known feeling in her heart: pity.

It had been so long since she'd felt pity, instead of spite or anger.

In the last case, it had led to love.

She closed her eyes against the sudden sight of her loved one's face.

What might have been...

==========================================================

The man sat in the book-filled room at his huge round oak table in the hard oak chair. His long fingers were not writing with the fountain pen that lay, forgotten, on the table above his book, nor did his his brown eyes look thoughtful and kind, or pleased and vengeful.

They were half closed and sad. So terribly sad.

His mood was regret, and though the hands that he cradled his head on entwined in long silver strands of hair, he was not by any means an old man. Rather, eternally youthful and brilliant as a comet burning through space.

The past... The past was coming, like it or not, and too quickly for his liking. It could smother their spirits or lift them to victory. It could do both at once.

"You are a foolish man, Kalguna," the dreamweaver scolded himself. "You knew this would happen." He swallowed and sighed, sitting up to look at the ceiling, not quite lit up by the numerous oil lamps scattered around the Victorian style room. "It will come soon," he murmured sadly.

"What will come?" came a sudden voice, taking him by surprise. She was back. "What will you not tell me?"

Kalguna looked over at her, her green eyes a mixture of anger, fear, and desperation. "S--Diabolique..."

   [1]: mailto:black_cassima@hotmail.com



	20. Those Things We Do

Yellow Roses, part 19 Yellow Roses, Part 19: Those Things We Do By [Cassima][1]

**********************************************************

Disclaimer: I bought them all in my spare time! Bwahahaha not really.

Author's note: For those of you who know Sailor Moon, I apologize for the odd mixture of manga and TV; it's just the way I want it. Oh, and ouch there's a lot of plot in this part. That's why it took so long to pump out. Sorry, guys.

**********************************************************

_"I can feel this mortal body dying around me."_

--The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle.

**********************************************************

"Agent Mulder?"

The man looked up, bored out of his mind. Scully promised him he'd get released from the hospital today... but no earlier than noon, damn it all. "Hello," he greeted the tall woman with the dark, long hair and beautiful dark skin. "Setsuna, right?"

She nodded, and noticed the dark red quality of her eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you--"

"Don't be sorry. Please," he gestured her welcome. "I'm so bored I'm about to start climbing the walls. Come in."

"I was wondering if I might be able to look at that silver wand again for a moment." She smiled charmingly.

He picked it up off the bed table and handed it to her. "I don't suppose you know what it is, do you?"

Running her fingers over the metal, she smiled mysteriously and changed the subject.

Mentally, Mulder made a note.

**********************************************************

The Queen lifted his eyebrows regally, a sense of displeasure settling over his wrinkly features. "You have not yet succeeded in getting the information out of her?"

Spike rolled his eyes and settled down in the chair next to him. "Not for lack of trying. Her lips are sealed up tighter than the bloody exit doors on Hell."

"This is most unfortunate. Your job is to retrieve the information she has on the Sailor Senshi, and your methods have failed." He took another puff off his cigarette, cooly calculating his ally. "Have you not even _thought_ to make her a vampire?"

Spike took another puff off _his_ cigarette. "Look, it's not that easy. She's an angel--or, at least she was until recently. Her blood's like acid to us; it won't turn. No," he growled, "I'd have the information out of her if she didn't keep spacing off. But, never to fear. I've got Dru brewing up a little something special right now--a spell of sorts. Right, love?" he called over his shoulder.

"I've gathered the roses and tucked them in bed," she replied excitedly, "but they want a story and a song. A song to call the story. And when it's over, we can all have tea and daisy-cake."

The Queen skeptically raised his eyebrows again, as if to say, "This is supposed to make me feel better?"

"Dru, darling, what about the spell for the angel?" he tried again.

"Shh!" she scolded. "You'll wake them!"

"Drusilla. The angel?"

Drusilla made an unhappy noise. "Yes, yes, I have your spell all prepared. ...But I don't like her, Spike. She scares me."

"Yes, love, I know. We'll kill her after we've got the information. Right?" he confirmed with the Queen.

Dru shivered. "She makes my skin feel all tingly, and my eyes burn."

Spike settled back in the overstuffed chair, taking a deep drag off his cigarette. "Could be worse, love. She's not exactly the best angel in the lot of 'em."

"A good angel can make your skin burst into flames," Drusila confirmed quietly. "Poof! No more Spike."

"Don't kill her," the Queen said, extinguishing his stub and lighting a fresh one. "Let's hold her as long as we can before it becomes dangerous. She's lying a puddle of her own blood, vomit, and piss. How dangerous can she be?"

**********************************************************

"You awake?" She looked down at the head she'd pulled into her lap.

New Girl blinked once or twice, eyes still cloudy and confused. "I hurt all over," she said through cracked, dried lips.

"I'm not surprised," the chained woman replied, running her fingers over the other girl's dirty hairline. "I don't think there's any part of you they haven't beaten yet."

"Is there any... water?"

"Yeah, hold on." She reached back for the cup she'd been saving water in. "It's a little stale, but it's wet." She dipped the corner of her blanket in the cup and let New Girl suck on the material. She dipped the corner four more times before she decided that was enough for the moment, and began to use the damp edge to sponge at the dried crud on her face. "You holding up okay?"

"Have I told them anything yet?"

"Not much they didn't already know."

"I'm okay." She winced as the wool blanket rubbed against a scrape. "I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

"You have to," the other girl told her, voice hard. "You can't tell them about the Senshi."

"They've run out of physical torture." New Girl's voice was a harsh whisper. "Pyschological next. I'm... I'm not that strong. I like simple things. Ice cream, movies, trees. My friends. A game of chess here and there. I don't like pain. I want to tell them, but I shouldn't. I can't."

She grabbed the girl's shoulders tightly, painfully. "You do, and I'll kill you myself."

"The alternative is unthinkable." She looked aside. "I need a miracle."

The girl in chains frowned. They needed a rescue. Fast. If New Girl got any worse, she'd have to kill her.

**********************************************************

Luna approached the girl slowly, still uncertain of the timing. "Ami?" she called softly from a few paces away.

"I knew he wasn't coming," the blue haired girl whispered, raising her head to look at the stream. "As soon as I saw them, I knew."

The black cat moved closer and settled herself in the girl's lap. She felt close to the shy, intelligent soldier of Mercury, closer to her than to any of the other senshi--possibly even her own. "Ami..."

"But I'm not going to worry about that now. After we rescue Lun@, after that, I'll cry. But I need to have a clear head. So, he's not gone until after we rescue Lun@, okay?"

There was nothing Luna could think to say to that, so she curled her tail around the girl's thin waist and laid her head down for comfort. "Oh, Ami..."

"I need a clear head," Ami whispered. "I need to think. I have to be smart for the both of us now." She closed her eyes briefly. Taiki had always been her competition, always been a step ahead of her. "I'm strong enough. Don't worry, Luna." She smiled, sadly.

Luna said nothing. It seemed to her that Ami's eyes were a bit distant.

**********************************************************

She frowned at New Girl's still form, lying across her lap, clothed in the tattered, soiled remains of her jeans and t-shirt. The other girl's heavy, small head lay on her bare legs like a rock; the only movement was the slight flare of her nostrils as she breathed.

The girl in chains took the opportunity to meditate on the likelihood of ever being rescued. Not a very large possibility, unless the sailor senshi came looking for New Girl. Perhaps--

But, then what? There was no life for her anymore. She did not matter. Her sisters were gone--back at home, safe, with any luck. They were innocent of her crimes; her exile was because of these--unnatural thoughts. These--feelings.

She bit her lip against a surge of loneliness. The girl in chains had never thought to fall in love; it had never crossed her mind. She didn't want any of it: the heart-wrenching attraction, the rampant distracting dreams, the complications. Such love was taboo; same-sex unions were forbidden.

She had stayed in disguise too long back on Earth; she grew too used to the mask, too comfortable with it--and with some of Earth's inhabitants. She was never safe from the ghost of her past, and though she knew it was merely a hallucination, her gut twisted as a pair of blue eyes, shyly melancholy, gazed at her. Her sisters had felt mild attraction, sure, but it faded with the end of their masquerade. Her own forbidden thoughts, however...

A voice interrupted her thoughts. "Well, isn't this a comfy little corner." Spike sneered a little at the girls on the floor. "Taken our little robin under your wing, have you?" he cheerfully asked the girl in chains.

Her violet eyes flashed scornfully as she held the head of New Girl closer to her stomach, protecting her. She would not let her reveal the senshi. "She will never tell you, you monster!" she hissed confidently.

"We'll see about that, love," Spike said cheerfully as Drusilla swept into the room dreamily. A perverse idea struck him. "Since you're so attached to the brat, hold her while Dru does her magic, will you?" He lit a cigarette calmly while she sent him a look of disgust. "Unless you'd prefer that I restrained her."

As she imagined his hands in New Girl's hair, she felt ill and held the child herself.

Dru knelt next to the two girls. Lun@ stirred a little, restless in her sleep. "Shh!" the vampire lady hushed. "This won't hurt a bit."

**********************************************************

Scully held her coffee close to her upper lip, allowing the steam to warm her forehead as she held the paper Starbucks cup in her hands. Another damn dream. Another blouse ruined, stained by blood from her nose. She felt so old, so confused.

Something big was coming. Something huge. She didn't know how she knew. She didn't even know why. It felt wrong, to know so much, wrong to be so calm. She was falling apart; she could feel her body dying around her, coming to pieces.

She threw the cup away, coffee untouched. She didn't need caffine to keep her awake. She needed to get away from the temple, away from the group of teenagers with raging hormones and the serious discussion in one of the larger rooms in the Hikawa Shrine. Decisively, she stood and made her way to the back gardens. She needed to hear the earth speak to her.

_Dana, my girl, you are losing it,_ she told herself with a touch of wryness. Hippie Mentality was definitely not her thing.

Stopping on a rock, she looked to where her feet had been leading her: the grassy knoll some 20 meters away where the shy blue-haired girl sat, cross-legged. What was her name again? Amy? "Hello," she said quietly.

The girl jumped a little. "Oh, Agent Scully! I didn't hear you approach."

Scully nodded, and sat beside her in the grass. "I've been thinking. About Lun@. If you could find her, the Sailor Senshi could probably break her out, right?"

The girl--Ami? Aery?--nodded affirmative. "Everyone has a power signal, but when I scanned her earlier, I never saved the reading. If I had something of hers that gave off a signal--her necklace, maybe, or some other item of magical value--I could trace it and track her, but..." She looked down at her hands. "And so technology fails." She shrugged.

Scully frowned. "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."

She smiled a little, sadly. "I haven't been in the sun much lately."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Ami," called a familiar voice.

She turned around. "Hello, Mamoru," she greeted.

The tall man sat gracefully on the grass beside her. "Setsuna wanted me to give you this." He handed her a small grey rod--the same one Lun@ had given Mulder for safekeeping.

Ami took it with interest. "What is it?" she inquired, turning it over in her hands and running her fingers along the seamless edges.

He shook his head. "She didn't say."

The blue-haired girl nodded and stood, handing the grey rod to Scully and lifting the black cat on her lap to Mamoru's large, capable hands. Holding aloft her own Transformation stick, she took a breath. "Mercury Crystal Power, Makeup!"

Scully sat transfixed, a mixture of horror and awe at the blatent expenditure of magic surrounding the girl. Rings of energy swirled around her and dressed her in powerful protections. The FBI agent's eyes widened and she gasped a little as the wards suddenly appeared emblazened on the warrior, blindingly bright and strong in a blinding sky blue light, and the aura of shyness around the girl condensed and transformed into something powerful.

She tensed as a barrage of images confronted her, unrelenting. Pink dress. Grey tail. Weeping girl, collapsed on the floor. Flash of a long, brown ponytail as the room exploded. A prince.

She latched on to the last image. Prince... where had she... Prince... Scully stared at Mamoru, disbelieving. She was from... the US was a democracy... she had no... "Your majesty?" she whispered through trembling lips.

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, forcing her eyes away. "I just thought..." Scully started at a hand on her shoulder and looked up.

"Here," he told her, concerned.

She stared blankly at the handkerchief in his hand and blindly raised it to her dripping nose. "Endymion." Reverently.

He drew back, concerned and not a little shocked. "Agent Scully?" he asked uncertainly. Did he know...?

Sailor Mercury bent down to one knee, her right hand holding Scully's shoulder. "Scully, what's wrong?"

The strong, flame-haired woman grabbed Mamoru's pantleg, uncharacteristically pleading. "Endymion, they're coming. Their plan is darkness, but don't blame them. They're only lost. They can't... they don't--realize... What they have is... they can't..." She swayed a bit on her knees, and Mercury helped her lie down on the grass, prying Lun@'s stick out of her fist.

"Are you okay, Agent Scully?" Mercury asked, pulling out her visor and scanning her.

"Endymion, they come for Earth, to conquer in lieu of salvation. Andy and I--" She broke off suddenly, pinching her eyes shut. Her fingers pressed at her temples, and she shuddered. "I..." She shook her head, and when her eyes opened again, they were confused. "What's happening to me?"

Mamoru thought for a moment. He could direct enough healing power to stop the nosebleed and the headache, but there was something greater than that here. He didn't know what, but he could feel it at the edge of his mind, hiding in the shadows, just outside the light. Well, first thing was first. Allowing Luna to drape herself back over his shoulder, he reached out and cupped his hands around her head. Her fragility was almost tangible, but he allowed the earth energies to flow through his body and soak into her skull. Her eyelids fluttered closed at the pleasant warmth, and the blood stopped flowing.

As he brought his hands down, he frowned. There was something larger hiding in her body, something sinister and strong. He could treat the symptoms, but until they destroyed the _presence_ in her skull, her recovery would be but superficial.

She opened her eyes widely and stared into his. "How did you do that?"

He smiled gently, despite his worry, and helped her sit up. "I'll show you later."

Turning back to Mercury, he gestured for her to proceed. With a frown, she lifted the wand from the ground where it had fallen from Scully's hand and began scanning it with her visor.

**********************************************************

Dru was confused. She had had the angel for a moment before a wall of sorts slammed down, knocking her back. When it had lifted, her mind was gone. Poof, no one was home. Not the child's doing; from what she'd seen, the girl would have been easy pickings. No, someone powerful was protecting her. She dug deeper.

**********************************************************

Lun@ blinked. She'd been dreaming, and all of the sudden she found herself back in the strange study with the Infuriating Man. He kept sending her puppy dog eyes, and his hair was long and unencumbered, streaked with silver. He was--well--beautiful.

But the simpering fool refused to give her her past. She knew he had it; everytime she saw him, he looked incredibly guilty. She would place good odds that he knew what was happening to her, too. And how to stop it. How to make her whole again.

_Had she ever been whole?_

The emptiness gnawed at her. "What am I doing here?" she asked.

"I brought you here," he responded, keeping his eyes on the book he was writing in.

"I didn't ask for that," Lun@ responded calmly.

He shrugged. "It was necessary." There was a pause.

"Who _are_ you?" Lun@ cried, frustrated. "What do you want?"

"You asked for help, didn't you?" he said, trying to sound calm.

"I _prayed_ for a _miracle_. A miracle you aren't--nor are you God, for that matter." 

"You wound me."

"A sane person would leave under such torture."

"Yes." He didn't move.

There was another pause as she stared at him. Finally, he looked up into her eyes, noting the way the hair in her braid was unraveling and tangled. Her complexion was washed out; she looked tired.

Trying to retain her cool exterior and hide her nervous shaking, she sat on an overstuffed chair. "You know, don't you." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I know your past."

"And you can make me remember."

"You don't want to do that."

"I want to know myself."

"Look into your heart!" he urged, a bit carelessly. "You know who you are."

Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply. "Was I... was I such a bad person?" A single tear slid jerkily down her cheek.

"Why would you think--?"

"Did I kill anyone?"

He blinked, suddenly feeling the water close over his head; he was _so_ out of his depth. "What?"

More tears worked their way down her cheeks; she looked so young. "Was I really horrible? Was there a war? Did lots of people die?"

"Well--"

"Did I dishonor my family? Make my parents do bad things?" Her breath began to catch and shudder, and she clenched the arms of the chair so tightly her fingers whitened.

"No!" Kalguna decided finally, appalled by her approaching hysterics. He left his chair to kneel next to her, taking her calloused hands into his tanned, ink-stained ones and brushing loose strands of hair from her face. "No, you're the same person you've always been." His touches and caresses were as light as butterfly kisses. She leaned into his chest, clutching at his ornate robes and sobbing harder.

"I don't want to be evil," she hiccoughed soddenly. "I want to be good as everyone says my mother was, but it's _hard_... there's so much evil in my soul an' I don't know how to be a Guardian to Buffy, an' what if she finds out and hates me even more, and everyone dies because my stupid powers won't work? All I'm good at is killing, and they want me to be nurturing, and I don't know what to do!"

He knew his robes were probably covered with tears, snot, and drool, but it was too late now. He patted her back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"What if she dies b'cause my powers are dribbling out my ears?--and I can't heal anymore. What if I tell 'em... what if I've already told 'em..." As her hysterics subsided and sleep overcame her, Lun@ missed the crumpling of Kalguna's facade.

He lost his nervous look as he carefully laid her back on the chair, and his expression became pondering. He stared into the fire for a while, thinking. Finally, his brow set and his hazel eyes hardened with calculation. "When I swore no intervention," he said darkly, "I didn't swear to this!"

**********************************************************

Mercury shook her head and her visor slid away. "She's not being kept in this dimension."

"What?" Scully asked, skeptical.

"It's more like a--fold of space. You have to use magic to get there; I can't track the signature through such raw power. Not this late. All sense of Lun@ has been swept away."

Mamoru frowned. "We have to get her back. She knows who we all are--I don't want to give that away."

"That and she's a human being," Scully said a little angrily.

Mercury bit her lip, and with a rush of energy she was once again Ami Mizuno. "I'm not quite sure of that."

"I think she's an Angel of Death," Mamoru said.

Scully blinked, not really believing them. "Well, it shouldn't really matter. You Senshi--you have this incredible power; don't you think it morally wrong not to use this gift to help others?"

"They do help others," Luna said suddenly, to Scully's surprise; for a while, she'd forgotten the cat could speak. "They spend most of their free time rescuing others."

"But it's never enough," Ami whispered, and for a moment, her face was more than it's usual trace of sadness.

Mamoru patted her shoulder comfortingly. "It'll do."

"Hey, we've been looking all over for you guys!" a woman yelled, running up the hill. "The others insisted that we couldn't start without you, so get back to the temple so we can talk! I've figured something out!"

Exchanging a glance, the four rose and followed her back to the Hikawa Shrine, Scully quickly checking to make sure she'd mopped up all evidence of her latest nosebleed.

When they were all gathered back in the room, Jenny began to speak. "I've found a spell that will call a spirit willing to guide us through magic boundries, but it'll be tricky."

"I've tracked them to where they leave this time level," Ami informed her, "but they enter a pocket outside time, and I lose them there."

"They must be getting through with a portal," Setsuna contributed, "but it'll be very difficult to find."

"The spell I found should get us through a portal of our own," Jenny said. "It'll be much easier if we start where they started. The only problem, however, is seeing if we can find a spirit willing to guide us."

"Ms. Calendar, I find this talk extremely interesting, but unrealistic. Surely you don't expect all of us to go." Scully looked around the room. God, they were all children. They were going to die.

"Of course not." Jenny looked insulted. "But, Haruka will be talking about the plan."

The blond woman stood up. "Okay, here's the plan--and there's no room for argument." She sent a pointed glare to Rei, who looked ready to spew sacred flames.

A new girl, sitting with the Americans, murmured some sort of approval; evidentally, she felt asthetically pleased. Scully mentally winced. Ugh. Teenagers and their ever rampant hormones.

But, the blonde standing at the front of the room demanded attention. She gave everyone a hard stare. "Only some of the senshi will be entering the portal," she said. "I don't want any civilians getting in the way. Setsuna, Michiru, Hotaru, Ami, and I will enter the portal to the other universe. Makoto, Minako, Rei, and Usagi will stand guard incase anything tries to slip through, but they will remain in _this_ world. Yaten, Seiya--the enemy doesn't know you're here just yet, and I'd like to keep it that way for now, so stay at the temple unless one of our groups has a problem." They looked ready to protest, and Haruka held up her hands to stop the argument. "I know you guys want revenge for Taiki, but now is not the time. This is strictly a rescue mission right now, and you guys are too angry. _Stay here._ Understood."

Seiya nodded, seeing the logic, and turned to Yaten, his shorter, silver-haired brother. "Yaten?"

Yaten glared venomously at Seiya. "They can't tell us what to do! Damn it, Seiya, Taiki is--"

"Yaten!" the black-haired boy said sharply, reaching out to grab the other boy's shoulder. "For now, let it be. Taiki wouldn't want us to die. Not for him. Not for this."

Reluctantly, Yaten nodded, folding his arms against his chest and glaring at the room to keep the tears in his eyes from showing.

Haruka accepted this and continued. "I want Agent Scully to be on headset with Ami in the control room below the arcade."

"What about me?" Buffy protested. "What do I get to kill?"

"There are reports of another monster appearing in the park," a voice said from the doorway.

"Mulder!" Scully cried, jumping up to help him to a chair. "What are you doing out of the hospital?"

He shrugged and sat. "They released me. Said they needed the bed."

Haruka nodded at Buffy. "You and your team will take care of that."

The slayer grumbled something about working alone, and nodded, looking about as pleased as Yaten.

"Everyone who does not have a job will be preparing some sterile bandages and such for when we get back. If your friend doesn't have any legal ID or such, we can't take her to a hospital unless we really have to."

"What about me?" Mamoru asked.

Haruka smiled, but it wasn't pretty. "Well, if it comes to it, you can assist Usagi, but I have a special job for you."

"And me?" Mulder asked. "Can I go, too?"

The entire room glared at him.

"Guess that's a 'no', huh?"

   [1]: mailto:black_cassima@hotmail.com



	21. Deus Ex Machina

Yellow Roses, part 20: Deus Ex Machina By [Cassima][1]

Disclaimer: I'm nowhere near intelligent enough to create these characters myself. "Green Eggs and Ham" is property of that wild and wacky Dr. Seuss.

Summary: The rescue of Lun@; strange interventions.

Definition: "Deus Ex Machina" ("DAY es MHAK-ee-nah"): A sudden savior in a previously unsolvable problem

Definition: "Yume no Fukushu": Japanese; "Dream of Revenge".

_"I don't think you realize that you're not in control here!"_

--Captain Janeway, "Scientific Method", _Star Trek, Voyager_

"Powers light and Powers dark, Sentient beings, all--hark. I wish a boon, I have a quest. Send me a guide: your very best. Powers light and Powers dark, Sentient beings all--hark. I wish a boon, I have a quest. Send me a guide: your very best. Powers light and Powers dark..."

Very casually, Sailor Moon leaned close to Mr. Giles. Whispering, so as not to interrupt the chant, she asked, "How many times does she have to say this?"

Giles blinked and looked up from the large, musty book he'd been following. "Well, until it works," he replied, a bit startled by the question.

Jenny Calendar continued to murmur at the candle as the flame danced on the wind. It stood alone on the asphalt in a circle painted with white powder of some sort and a clear liquid Sailor Moon was fairly certain wasn't water. She nodded at Giles' answer, as if it had been obvious to her, too, and once again stood back to calmly watch.

She wished she was going, too. By all rights, she should be going; she was the leader, and the most powerful. Anything they could blow up, she could blow up bigger and noisier. Haruka had taken her aside afterwards, however, and given her a severe, reverent look followed by a similar lecture. _"Princess, I won't lead you into the lion's den. Not for this stranger. No matter what she knows, she's not worth your life. Stay put."_ Usagi may not have agreed with her net worth, but she knew when to obey.

She turned to look at Mercury. She looked calm; indeed, her mini-headset had sprouted from behind her ear and attached itself firmly to her head, and her visor was already out. Her fingers moved gracefully and soundlessly over the key pad of her little computer; Sailor Moon still had trouble believing that a device that looked like a slightly oversized flip-open pocket calculator was actually capable of solving multi-variable equations and processing data at a speed that would give a computer engineer wet dreams. That Ami sometimes worked ahead of the little gadget blew Sailor Moon's mind. Right now, the girl was tracing the energy patterns that were flowing, trying to determine where the creature was most likely to come from, and setting up her visor to scan their route there and leave a "trail of breadcrumbs", so to speak, to assure their way back. Sailor Moon had been interested in the process at first, until she heard the words "multi-dimensional variants", and then she just smiled cluelessly. Whatever was going to happen, it was sure to be good, and mathematically correct. Or whatever.

Miss Calendar's chanting suddenly broke off, and she looked up at the circle. The candle lay on its side, tip still smoking slightly, and was rolling slowly to a stop. In the middle of the circle, there was a man.

He wasn't tall, not in the least bit, but he wasn't as short as Yaten, either--around 5-foot-four, perhaps. He wore a surprising volume of ornate, deep grey robes; in the wind, they rustled mysteriously, but never left the circle drawn on the pathement. His dress was almost too heavy for his frame, and his delicate features only served to further estrange his appearance. His face, though beautiful, was hard and tanned a light red-brown; next to his straight, long silver hair, the earthy tone of his skin was shocking. He stood there impressively, a bit detatched and cold as he surveyed the senshi team.

"I am here now," his harsh voice grated out. In the light of the setting sun, he looked like a sorcerer. "Speak quickly. I am already bored with the lot of you."

"We want a path," Jenny said quickly, rising to her feet. She was his height, but somehow seemed smaller. Less imposing. "We need to find a friend of ours."

"You waste my time," he grumbled, still impassive. "What do I care for your missing friends? I have problems of my own."

"We're looking for a vortex to lead us to the Ancients," Mercury spoke up suddenly. She paused, and Sailor Moon realized she was being cued over the headset. "They found their Queen and nested her somewhere outside of reality."

This seemed to give the spirit pause, and he turned his hazel gaze to the senshi of ice. "And why should I care about your friend, when I now have the Ancients to contend with?"

"She knows how to stop them," Buffy's Watcher said, evidently needing no cues.

The spirit continued to be unimpressed. "Then she surely knows how to free herself." He began to fade from the circle, sending the group a pitying look. "This was hardly worth my time."

"Her name is Diabolique," Giles called.

He stopped fading and blinked. "Di...abo...lique?"

Sailor Moon stepped forward in a pleading gesture. "Please help us. If it's entertainment you want, I can play cards with you."

Everyone stared at her in disbelief. "Sailor Moon..." someone groaned.

The spirit's lip twitched briefly towards a smile. "No, your group is amusing enough without petty card tricks. I will do this--for your Diabolique." He turned to Jenny, scorn in his face. "Erase the line, mortal."

She didn't.

He sighed. "Don't be foolish, little one! If I wished to destroy you, you'd all be dead by now. You're standing within easy reach."

Everyone took two giant steps back.

He rolled his eyes. "If you do not wish my assistance..."

Reaching out with her foot, Ms. Calendar scuffed the circle with the toe of her shoe, and broke it.

He stepped out and surveyed the group before opening his arms wide and opening a glowing blue tunnel. "I will allow you to redeem yourselves. This way, children."

The agreed-upon team followed him, not the least bit hesitant. As the end closed, the spirit heard Sailor Moon yell, "thank you!"

Mars blinked in confusion as the portal slid shut. "Redeem ourselves? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm worried about the White One." Tanzinite swirled his drink around in his glass with a rather serious expression on his face.

"Don't worry, Tan," his brother said comfortingly. "The Queen grows in power daily. Soon He'll be more than strong enough to defend us and get revenge."

"I suppose you'd know." Quartz sighed and examined the edge of the blade she had been sharpening. "Liam, how *is* our Queen doing? Is our alliance with the vampires doing any good? When can we expect to know the identity of the White One?"

"The vampire, Spike, and his lady are working on it," the youngest one reported gloomily, "but progress is slow. Evidently, the child is resilient against all resources."

"If she's not talking, she's not worth feeding." Quartz brought the blade back down, still unsatisfied. "If the vampire's too weak to slit her throat, I will."

"He still hopes she will speak to him. He has been using pysical torture, but I have the impression he's about to try psychological."

Tanzinite sighed again, setting his drink down on the table. "Her mental defenses are crumbling, but there's some sort of seal on her--at least 2 different kinds."

"But you can't tell for sure?" Quartz asked, looking up from her sword to frown with dissapproval.

"There's something disorienting about her," the psychic replied, massaging an aching temple. "The runes help to block it out, but I've been walking around with the worst headache ever since she came. She traded something big for power a while ago, and it's withstanding the test of time. As near as I can tell, she could be a rabbit underneath all the enchantment."

"Lucky rabbit foot," Quartz whispered, caressing her nearby axe with a grin.

"That's morbid, Quartz," Tanzinite told her.

She shrugged, but went back to sharpening her weapons.

"Jade, you've been awfully quiet over at your desk."

The dark-skinned woman looked up at the speaker. "I think you're all being overly optimistic. Even with the power we're gleening from that first woman we captured, we're going to have to lay a trap for the White One. We want her to come to us. As I see it, to do that, we're going to need a hostage. The only hostage we have is the one we're letting Spike disassemble, so we either need another hostage or we need to stop the physical torture. Possibly even the mental. Give her a small respite, and let her heal. Let her think she's safe, and then..." She shrugged, and looked down to the open book on her desk. "But, that's just my opinion."

"We're all going by opinion," Liam said comfortingly. "Personally, I think we should just kill her now. She's not going to talk, and all we're doing in letting her stay is indulging in the vampires' sadistic tendancies."

"I'd like to indulge in a few of my own sadistic tendancies," Quartz said wickedly. Pulling the curved scimitar from the sheath on her back, she swung it around, cutting the air.

"Oh, that's very attractive," her brother told her.

"Well, Tan, just 'cause I'm not a weak--"

"Quartz!" Liam exclaimed.

"Weak?!" squeaked Tanzinite.

"Tan, stop antagonizing her," Jade scolded, looking up from her tome with a sigh.

The two siblings looked at their feet. "Sorry," they muttered in tandem.

"That's better," Jade said grumpily, back in her book.

Liam cleared his throat. "Back to the previous subject, Quartz--I'm inclined to agree with you. I'd like you to see if you can get anything out of her. Maybe the vampires just haven't been asking correctly."

Quartz used her blade to neatly slice one of her own hairs. "Mission accepted."

Tanzanite turned a pale shade of green and raised one large hand to his mouth. "This is one adventure I think I'll pass on," he decided, images of the bloody, beaten girl circling in his mind.

At the sight of Quartz's bloodthirsty look, Liam frowned. "Keep all of her limbs attached, please. Bones intact. You probably shouldn't even bring the axe."

"Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm, all is bright," the Girl in Chains sang lightly in moderately accented English.

New Girl winced. "Ugh. Your singing voice's 'bout as good as mine. You're giving me a headache." She leaned limply against the wall. "'Sides, it's not Christmas. That's not a good tune for this situation... you need... oh..." she hummed a few bars of classic blues harmonica. "Ain't got no home," she croaked, off-key already. "Ain't got no man. My dog has left me with a book on Sam-I-Am..."

"Please stop there." She lifted her hand carefully, for the chains hung heavily on her wrists, and carefully pushed a strand of her own oily, unwashed hair away from her dirt-encrusted eyes. "That's not a song, that's a plea for death."

"I was just getting to that part," New Girl muttered.

She sighed. "You can't let them get you down. They haven't come yet today, so there's a pleasant--"

The door crashed open with a bang, interrupting their discussion. A woman with curly green-blonde hair tumbling to her shoulders strode in with a large axe that meant business. Following her quietly was a young man with a cautiously neutral expression on his Asian features. He leaned against a wall outside the bars while the woman plowed right through the door.

"Hello, kids," she said in a husky alto. "I'm here to find out some information, starting with the identities of the Sailor Senshi." She swung her large axe as if it weighed a mere pound or two. "I don't expect you'll make it easy for me, but I'm looking foward to it. So," she whirled on Lun@, who was looking a little terror-stricken against the wall, "let's start."

"Oh, let's not," Lun@ replied, feeling her bravado shatter at this new turn of events.

"This is the deal, Sport," she continued, watching the tip of her axe cut through the air dangerously. "The White One killed our First Queen, and she has to pay. You tell me who Sailor Moon is, and I'll give you a quick, painless death." The axe suddenly stopped moving, and her cold blue eyes met Lun@'s with a hard severity. "So talk."

"I'm not afraid to die," Lun@ said in a shaking voice.

Suddenly, she whipped her axe around and stuck it into the floor next to the Girl in Chains' leg, slicing off a good three inches of her hair. "How about her? She's innocent. You gonna let her die?"

Lun@'s breath caught in her throat. "I won't..."

She lifted the axe from the ground where the blade had buried itself. "After I destroy her, we go through the same process with you."

Lun@ bit her lip to hold back a sob. "I can't..."

The blade came down again, cutting off another four from the long ponytail. "She's running out of hair, you know."

"Stop it!" Lun@ yelled, struggling to sit up.

She lifted her axe. "Who is Sailor Moon?"

"Usa--" was as far as she got before the girl in chains threw their water bowl at her, hitting her square in the nose. Letting out a cry of pain, she fell forward, holding her nose and muttering something through her loud tears.

"Don't you dare," the girl in chains hissed. "Don't you even dare."

She just lay there, curled into a ball and rocking back and forth, sobbing.

The woman stood, hefting her axe, and walked back out of the cage, an amused look on her face. "I'll be back tomorrow, and we'll hold this conversation again. Eventually, your friend will be dead, and then I will start taking souveneirs with me whenever I leave. Small body parts, hair, skin. Then I will take your ears, first the left, and then the right, and then I will take your eyes in reverse order, until I tire of this whole process. But, with or without your help, I will find her, and then I will kill her." She turned and left. The man against the wall stepped away from it and cast them a blank look before following the tortorer out of there and shutting the door behind him. The only sound in the prison-turned-warehouse was the sound of Lun@'s hoarse, soggy sobs.

The girl in chains stared at the opposite wall, angry. Angry at Lun@ for almost telling, angry at their captors, angry at her helplessness to stop it, angry at fate, angry at Sailor Moon for not saving them, just--angry.

Finally, Lun@ ran out of tears, and she turned her head from her it's spot on the ground to look at the girl in chains.

"I want you to kill me," she said hoarsely.

The girl in chains nodded, but continued to stare at the wall in front of her.

"I mean it," she said, thinking perhaps she sounded hesitant, or less than adamant. "You promised."

"I will." The voice suddenly sounded surprisingly mannish.

She blinked, and looked at the girl in chains; at her black leather bikini-style top with dirtied, faded, lavendar trim. "Today?" She winced mentally as her voice cracked. _Weak!_

"In a bit."

They continued to stare at the bars of their prison, a quiet, eerie calm decending upon them.

The space between dimensions wasn't empty at all; it was filled with surreal blurrings of color and mist. The atmosphere was very dark, but at the same time, almost blinding; Neptune gripped Uranus' hand very tightly and hoped Mercury could see well enough to properly track the route.

Not that she doubted Mercury's abilities. On the contrary, she had a well-developed respect and trust in the young genius' skills with that little computer. Obviously, Uranus shared that respect, or Mercury would be far from here, safe back in their own dimension. Unfortunately, the blue haired girl was the only one who could track their path accurately enough to bring them home. Though Mercury's powers were weak at best, it seemed Nature had given her enough intelligence to more than make up for it.

She focused her eyes on their guide, his grey robes the only comfortable resting place for the eyes with the horrible vertigo of the transit and their own blindingly white senshi uniforms. He remained calm, almost slightly amused throughout the journey. His dark robes swished lightly under the flow of the energy currents, and his footsteps were calm and sure. There was something vaguely familiar about the way he held himself--something reminiscent of the Silver Millenium, perhaps, though Neptune couldn't be sure. In the dregs of her mind, an old memory surfaced, and she made a connection. His arrogance reminded her of Endymion. Not Endymion as he was today, but as she had met him so many years ago, before he and Selenity had met. He had been so sure of himself, and so amused by the incompetancy of the rest of the universe.

Of course, maybe their guide had a reason to be so cocky; he was, after all, some sort of magical creature that supposedly answered their summons out of some inane sense of boredom. Maybe the sailor senshi's "petty mortal problems" _did_ amuse him because of their comperative simplicity.

Well, Neptune was glad that they were amusing _someone_ with their problems, because she felt anything but amused. This enemy was very real, very frightening, and very unfamiliar. The senshi, with their combined magical and scientific resources, knew very little about their opponent, and, no matter how tough Lun@ liked to pretend she was, the information in her mind could get Usagi in trouble, and no one--not even Death herself--messed with their Princess.

No one.

"There is a breach in the field approximately 23 meters to our left," Mercury's voice cut through the silence.

Their guide chuckled a bit. "Very astute, Mercury. And, yes, that is where we're headed. Your mind never fails to amaze me."

She looked up, and her face was still hard and calm, as it had been since she returned to Rei's temple after hearing of Taiki's death. "Scully said you were in the Moon Kingdom." She dropped it almost casually into the air as they neared the exit.

He stiffened minutely, and Neptune knew that she and Mercury had been the only ones to notice. "I may have dropped by, once or twice. Here you are, children, and so if you'll excuse me, I have real work to do." He faded away into the blinding mist and out of sight, but the senshi stopped watching and entered the space pocket.

Their feet touched the ground at the end of a stone hallway, and they all paused to allow their eyes to adjust to the light.

Mercury was in her full glory with technology. Her visor was already out and scanning, and she transferred the results to her computer, doing _something_. "Scully, can you hear me? We're in the Fortress." She paused, and gave Uranus a thumbs-up. "We're back in contact," she said. "And I'm picking up a signal heading left."

"Good," Uranus said shortly. "Neptune, you and I will take front. Pluto, you're in the middle. Saturn, take rear guard and protect Mercury. Let's move out."

"Damn it, I hate waiting!" Xander exploded, pacing again in front of the temple. "And I don't know why Buffy has to stay here. She's the vampire slayer; she should be the one slaying the vampires!"

"Xander, chill." Cordelia refilled her glass of lemonade from the pitcher on the porch and reclined regally on the steps. "If someone else wants to do the killing, who are we to complain?"

"The Slayer, that's who!" Willow exclaimed, slamming her fist down on the support beam. As everyone turned to look at her, she bit her lip and stammered, "Well, I mean, obviously Buffy is the Slayer, not all of us, 'cause that would just be weird... shutting up now."

Giles coughed and moved on to the next subject. "But, I think we should consider our strategy. After we get Lun@ back--how are we going to defeat the vampires? We only have two weeks left before our plane returns to Sunnydale. We need to eradicate the nest here before then."

Jenny sat up slightly from her seat, and the blanket covering her slipped down a little. Still exhausted from the earlier spell, her eyes were a bit glazed, and her skin still a tad pale. Clearing her throat, she began to speak. "I know none of you want to hear this, but we need to prepare for the possibility that Lun@ will not return."

"What?"

"Time in the space pocket may move independently of here. She could be dead. Or dying."

"She's an angel," Oz said, confused. "She's not a mortal."

"Yes," said a new voice. "Yes, she is."

They turned suddenly to see a small grey dog sitting on the ground. "Lun@?" Xander asked, taking a step forward. "You escaped!"

"I'm not Lun@," the dog said, sounding insulted, and, indeed, the voice was distinctly masculine. "My name is Simon. Ambassador Simon."

Giles slowly picked the head set up from where he had left it and spoke very slowly and calmly into the mike. "Agent Scully, we have a talking dog here."

Her voice came into his ear piece quite clearly. "Lun@?"

"No," he replied, as everyone around him began to furiously query the dog. "He says his name is Ambassador Simon."

"Of where?" Scully asked. Then, "Oh, Sirus..."

All of the sudden, there was some commotion from the other end of the line. Giles could hear Mulder faintly say, "Shit, Scully! Somebody get a kleenex!"

"I'm sorry," he heard Scully murmur, "I was just a little dizzy for a minute."

"Scully-san," came Seiya's distant voice, "here. You need to take care of yourself."

"Agent Scully, are you alright?" Giles asked.

"I'm fine, everyone," she said, a bit annoyed, to both the people with her and Giles. "Mr. Giles, I'm sorry, but I have to remain in contact with--Mulder, stop it! I'm fine! Quit hovering!"

Giles swallowed a smile. It really wasn't amusing; she was very sick. "I understand. I'll keep in contact."

"Goodbye, Mr. Giles."

"Goodbye, Agent Scully."

As he removed the headset, he turned his thoughts back to the Ambassador. He really looked very similar to Lun@'s dog-form. "Are you from Sirus?" he asked loudly over the din of questions.

The dog gave what looked like might be a doggie smile. "So the Soothsayer is here, hm? He seems, however, to be a bit out of date. Please, give him my regards."

"Ambassador Simon," he said, "is there something we can help you with?"

The dog turned his head to the Watcher and blinked languidly. "When she returns, tell her to stop mixing magic."

Giles blinked. "Who?"

"Whatever she's calling herself now--Diabolique? She has to stop doing magic she doesn't have."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Giles asked.

"Oh, she'll know," Simon said, and turned around.

"Hey, you can't just walk away!" Xander demanded angrily.

But the dog was gone.

"Well, evidently you can, but you shouldn't!" the teenager grumped, throwing himself back down on the steps. "How d'ya like that? They think that just because they're talking dogs, they can boss us around."

No one else deigned to comment.

"_Space Sword Blaster!_" With a clean sweep of her talisman, Uranus neatly cleaved the blundering guard in two. "Damn, these guys are good!"

"We don't have time to destroy their army," Pluto said, gracefully whipping her Time Staff around to take out another of the guards.

"_Shabon Spray,_" Mercury called, and the entire hallway filled with cold fog. "Everyone, this way!" With the help of her visor, she could just barely make out enough of the hallway to see.

"We're running short on time," Pluto said as they plowed through the passageways. "The portal can only stay open for a few hours, and we have no way to open another from here."

Uranus shoved her way to the front, but kept the blue-haired senshi of ice second in line. "Mercury--now where?"

"Down the stairs!" she yelped as her arm was suddenly tugged in that direction. "About 120 meters!"

"Saturn, block the doorway for now--I don't want any interruptions," Uranus hollered as she raced down the steps into what looked to be a gigantic warehouse. "What the hell?"

"_Silence Wall!_" Saturn called, and a shield shot up to cover the doorway. "It won't hold forever."

"It doesn't have to," Mercury said, "she's down here."

"It better not," Pluto muttered. "We only have forty-five minutes until the portal closes and we're stuck in this God-forsaken place." She stood on the steps with her Time Staff glowing slightly.

"Lun@!" Neptune called at the edge of the cage. She could see a still form, and there was a horrible stench of urine, vomit, and blood filling the air. "Lun@, is that you?" She shook the door handle. "It's locked."

Holding out two fingers, Mercury muttered something under her breath. Ice crawled over the lock, and it groaned faintly.

Stepping back, Uranus gave the door a good, strong kick, and the iron splintered. "They need better locks."

Neptune made a polite noise of agreement as she swung the door open; she wasn't really amused, but was too lady-like to grunt. "Lun@?" she asked hesitantly.

But her eyes were blank.

"She has a pulse," she noted, "and she's breathing, but..."

"Nobody's home," Uranus finished, face twisted into an unrecognizable expression.

"He-llo!?" Lun@ turned around again, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "Does anybody work here?"

But the library remained conspicuously empty. It wasn't as though there were hiding places, either; the shelves were all built into the walls, with ladders to reach up to the top, and a winding staircase to lead to second level. It was rather cramped, actually, with the desk in the middle of the floor at the bottom of the tall room, and a bit of claustrophobia may have hit her if she hadn't felt quite so annoyed. Where was that Yume no Fukushu? He certainly wasn't here, which was where he was _supposed_ to be--where she had travelled, just to be in his stupid company.

"I don't have all day, you know," she said to the air. "I gotta go die so they can send me to hell or whatever already."

There was no answer from the mysterious spirit that was supposed to inhabit the room.

"I just came to say goodbye," she continued. "Look, I'll leave a note, okay? Just in case anyone cares?"

"Suicide is a sin, Diabolique," a calm voice filtered to her ears.

She started; that wasn't the voice she had been expecting. "Yeah, well, it'll be murder, so it's all good." Her voice took an awed tone as she turned to see the angel standing on the balcony above. "You came."

"Would you waste this gift of life you have been given? Live, child." He looked down kindly, and her breath caught in her throat.

"I have to," she whispered hoarsely. "To save everyone. I can't say something I'll regret. I have to protect the ones I love." She turned away, suddenly shamed to meet his eyes. "Looks like you guys wasted a new life."

He was behind her, suddenly, his hand on her shoulder, and she felt herself turning before she consciously registered the command to her body. "It wasn't our gift." Her brow furrowed at this, and he brushed an errant strand of hair back. "It was a gift from the past, and I'd hardly say it is wasted."

Diabolique couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry," she said simply. "Please tell Kalguna--the Yume no Fukushu--I wish him--I... just tell him 'goodbye' for me, please." She gazed at his kindly features almost reverantly, and took a step back. "I-I have to go. Before I change my mind. Before it's too..."

"Shh," he hushed. "Little Diabolique, you're finding your way home, but the journey is dangerous." He pulled her close and murmured into her ear, "trust your heart. There is much riding on this."

She clenched her eyes closed tighter, and when she opened them--

She was back in the cell.

"She's awake!" Mercury said suddenly. "Lun@, Lun@, can you hear me?"

"Mercury?" she whispered, a confused look on her face. With a look of calm skepticism, she let her eyes slide shut.

"Lun@!" she repeated, a bit more harshly, and the girl opened her eyes again as Neptune and Uranus crowded around to get a look. "It's me. We came to get you out. How do you feel?"

She blinked, slow to register reality. "But I'm going to die."

"Not here, you're not," Uranus told her. "Can you stand?"

"Stand?" She sat up slowly, every movement painful. "Yeah, I can do that." She allowed herself to be pulled to her wobbly feet by Neptune, but the Senshi of the sea didn't let go once she was standing. Which was probably a wise idea.

A rattle of chains stopped them all in their tracks, and Uranus fell immediately into a fighting stance in front of Neptune and Lun@. They all looked to the wall--and suddenly realized there was a second person hiding in the shadows.

And then they realized who she was.

"Sailor Star Maker?" Uranus asked increduously.

"Taiki," Ami said numbly. Her fingers were suddenly clumsy and slack, and her mini-supercomputer fell from her hand and clattered on the floor.

"Mercury," she whispered back, looking just as frozen.

"We don't have time," Pluto interrupted from the stairs. "We have to get moving!"

Uranus pulled herself together first, and drew her talisman. "_Space Sword Blaster!_" she cried, and sliced through the chains. "Come on, we can have this little reunion later. Mercury--" she paused to look at the blue-haired girl, who was suddenly fumbling to pick up her computer. "Mercury, get us out of here."

"Right," she said, snapping back into focus. "Plotting course--there are a lot of life signs down the most direct route, but I have an alternate path we can go down that's fairly barren, and only a bit--"

"Sounds good. Saturn take down the wall. Let's head out." Supporting Star Maker, Uranus moved her team out. 

[Cassima's mailbox is always open.][1]

[Back to Yellow Roses.][2]

[Back to the Cassima's Scribblings.][3]

   [1]: mailto:black_cassima@hotmail.com
   [2]: YRindex.htm
   [3]: index.htm



	22. To Thine Own Self Be True

Yellow Roses, part 21: "To Thine Own Self Be True"  
  
Disclaimer: Too high-maitenence for me.  
  
Summary: Aftermath of the rescue.  
  
Author's notes: 1) In chess, the player of the "black" side moves second. 2) I borrowed "the Great Destroyer" from Duo of Gundam Wing.  
  
+++++  
  
"I have two words that'll make it all better: Miniature golf."  
  
--The Mayor, BtVS  
  
+++++  
  
She awoke to find herself in a surprisingly bright--well, for night--open room, lying on a pad covered with a blanket. She blinked a few times. What kind of magic was this? Sitting up, she winced in pain and grabbed her spinning head. "Oh," she groaned unhappily.  
  
"Lun@, try not to move," Oz told her, pushing her shoulders back onto the pad.  
  
"Where am I?" she mumbled, trying to resist but failing. Her throat tickled, so she coughed a few times.  
  
"We brought you back to Rei's temple," he told her, going over to a pitcher on the table and pouring her a glass of water.  
  
"You're in the States," she told him as he set the pitcher back down and turned.  
  
"That would be a wild trip, but no, I arrived yesterday. Drink this." He helped her into a position raised enough for her to drink without choking.  
  
"Where--?" she asked.  
  
"Buffy's sleeping," he told her, putting the glass to her lips. "Tiny sips, the doc said. I brought enough jet lag to fill a small house, so I volunteered to stay with you for a while." He pulled the glass back. "Done?"  
  
She nodded a little and allowed herself to be lowered, but when he tried to stand, she held onto his sleeve tightly. "That girl...?"  
  
"The one in the cell with you? She's back with--well, as far as I understand, back with her family. Let me tell you, I have got to brush up on my Japanese." He tried to pull back, but she didn't let go of his arm.  
  
Closing her eyes, she muttered something almost chant-like, and then said something in Japanese.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, confused.  
  
Her brow creased with concentration and frustration, and she re-doubled her efforts. Finally, her eyes opened, and Oz wondered if that was a tear he saw in her eye. "It's not working." She bit her lip. "I just... just have to force it."  
  
"That's enough forcing for now," he said, extracting himself. "We can play Jedi later."  
  
"Right," she whispered. "Later." While dropping back into sleep, she casually wondered if she had ever heard Oz speak so much in a conversation before.  
  
*****  
  
"Are you in any pain?" he asked again, fidgiting. "Can I get you some tea, or some food, or a hot water bottle--anything?"  
  
"Yaten, I'm fine," Taiki said patiently. "I have everything I need." She directed a bright smile--uncharacteristic for the normally serious girl--and squeezed his hand. "I'm just happy to have my sisters back. I thought you were dead. I thought they killed you both, and the Princess. Is she--?"  
  
"Princess Kakyruu is safe," Yaten assured her. "We thought that you were--Oh, Taiki, it's good to have you back!"  
  
She nodded. "I feel strange, being on Earth, out of uniform, and--female."  
  
"You can change later. I want to have Dr. Scully take another look at you, first."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Bossy as ever, Yaten." She sobered quickly, though, and one of her long hands pressed to the wound on her ribs she had recieved during one of the fights during their escape. "You and Seiya--haven't changed a bit."  
  
"Taiki!" Yaten yelped, and helped her lie down. Her face was ashen! "Are you alright? Should I go get--"  
  
"I'm fine," she replied, a bit stiffly. "I just need to lie down for a while."  
  
"Go to sleep," Yaten said. "It's late, and you need your rest. Either Seiya or I will be here when you wake up."  
  
*****  
  
She hurt, all over. Her skin was pale, more so than normal, and there was a smooth, long cut running from her right eye down to her chin. She ghosted the edge of the purple-red line with her fingertips, watching how it just cut down, through her cheek, through where her silly freckles had once splattered, veering away from her nose, through the black-blue bruises that clouded her skin--as if it were the most important part of her. It just cleaved her face, carved it.  
  
She tore her gaze from the mirror to look at her hands, her arms--cut and bruised, everywhere she looked.  
  
She was ugly.  
  
"I am ugly," she said to the mirror, hating to look but unable to pull herself away.  
  
It was so. She had almost betrayed the world--almost told a vampire, of all the creatures to tell!--the true identity of Sailor Moon. She would have, if not for the girl in chains. If not for their water dish. Some angel she was... Some Guardian.  
  
Some Death.  
  
She rested her hands above the edge of the sink, not touching the clean, white porceline. *Who am I?* she wondered, *and how do I live with myself?*  
  
*****  
  
"It looks fine, Taiki," the petite, red-haired woman told her as she re-wrapped the deep slice on her ribs. "No signs of infection yet, but you have to keep it clean and dry." She sat down next to her patient on the bed. "Now, as for this--'changing' thing, I don't know anything about it. Are you sure it's safe? You're still a teenager, and your body is still growing. All those fluxuating hormones can't be healthy."  
  
"I've never had any problems before, Dr. Scully," Taiki said. "And, as you can see, it's hardly stunted my growth."  
  
Scully nodded in reluctance. The girl was taller than both her brothers. "Well, go ahead if you really want to, but I'm going to keep an eye on your progress. If this--change causes more pain, however, I want you to change back. Okay?"  
  
Taiki nodded. "Perfectly reasonable, Doctor."  
  
The FBI agent leaned forward. "If you don't mind me asking, though--how does it work?"  
  
Taiki smiled. "I'll show you." Taking a deep breath, she allowed her body to shift, feeling certain flesh retract and move, things shift, until she opened her eyes and found herself a man again.  
  
Ironic that the talent that had gotten the Sailor Starlights banished from their kingdom was the same talent that made them feel so comfortable on Earth. This androgynous body that gave them a form for every occasion was the same that helped Sailor Moon save the universe--  
  
But men could not be Sailor senshi.  
  
At a sudden poke in the chest, he broke from his thoughts and looked down to see a very confused Scully. "They're gone," he told her, more than a little amused.  
  
She pulled away and blushed. "I'm sorry, it's just that--that's not possible! I mean, they were real, and then you glowed blue, and--poof! That's incredible! How did you--?"  
  
He chuckled and decided to save her from her babbling. "It's a trait Yaten and Seiya and I took on when we came to Earth."  
  
She tore her eyes from his chest. "You're not human?"  
  
"We're not from Earth," he corrected. "We're human."  
  
She stood abruptly. "Excuse me," she said. "But this is... I mean... I don't know what to say." She backed up a few paces. "I'll be back later to check you out--over again, but I have to go..." She walked out the door, still looking back at him. The expression on her face, however, was not fear; it was one he was more intimately familiar with: scientific fascination.  
  
"I'll be here," he called, bemused. What a strange woman, to be caught up in all this magic and still be impressed by the slightest things.  
  
He sighed, and leaned back into his pillows. It felt good to be back in his male body, if strange. This was how the other senshi knew him; hopefully, this would help put them more at ease. And, he could concentrate on--  
  
"Taiki?" he heard a soft voice. "Are you resting?"  
  
"Ami," he identified, and opened his eyes. "No, please come in," he said, sitting up. He could feel a smile settle onto his face, practically of its own accord.  
  
The petite, blue-haired girl walked into the room a little shyly, holding a tray. "I thought, maybe, you might like some tea. And, a game of chess, if you're up to it."  
  
A fluttering feeling danced inside his chest, and he knew the smile was still there. He meant to say, *The pleasure of your company is always appreciated. I'd love to play with such a beautiful, intelligent woman. I always like to spend time with someone who challenges my wit so gracefully.* "Chess is good," he said instead, and inwardly smacked himself. *Oh, that was impressive. She's going to think you're a moron!*  
  
He watched as she arranged the tea pot on the dresser, using the tray to set up the chess board on the bed. She handed him a steaming cup with a smile, and he watched as she arranged herself on the bed with her own cup. She was wearing pants today, an unusual event. Skirts or jumpers were her normal attire; they were always long and modest, and very flowing. She crossed her legs Indian style across from him. "Which color?"  
  
"I'll be black," he responded, willing to take the handicap of moving second, and began to arrange the pieces. "This is a beautiful set."  
  
"Thank you," she said, pinking at the cheeks a little. "My father designed it for my 18th birthday, and a friend of his made it. It's my favorite."  
  
"I can see why." He ran his fingers over the edges of one of the pawns and set it down almost reluctantly. "The artistry is beautiful. What does your father do?"  
  
"He's a painter." She waited for him to finish arranging his pieces before she made a move. "He's working over in the States right now."  
  
"When is he coming home?" Taiki asked, moving his pawn up to block hers.  
  
"I haven't seen him for a very long time." She moved again and took a sip of tea. "He and my mother divorced when I was a baby. I don't remember anything about him, but he sends me postcards on my birthday."  
  
"Is your mother dating anyone?" he asked, considering his next move.  
  
"She's very busy," Ami replied, staring into her tea. "Between the hospital where she works and school and being a Sailor Senshi, I really don't see her a lot. I don't think she has time to date."  
  
He nodded, and moved his knight.  
  
*****  
  
She continued to stare into the mirror. She was a girl with no past. Her future was shakey--she seemed to be losing touch with whatever made her herself. Her present was unbalanced, and sliding away from her grasp.  
  
She didn't deserve to exist.  
  
Raising her hands, she traced her jawline with her trembling fingers, feeling the bruises under the skin, and the swollen part of her face where she'd been hit that one time with the whip handle. It was ghastly, and she winced at her own complexion.  
  
She pulled back from her face and her eyes hardened. Fingers in the air began to trace, to draw the runes of healing and sleep, but the magic wouldn't come.  
  
It would not come.  
  
No matter how hard she tried, how much she concentrated, the powers that she had once held so close  
  
*so dear*  
  
escaped her, and refused her calls. She knew she wasn't trying hard enough, that these powers were well within the abilities of a guardian angel, not to mention an angel of death, so she tried again, until her eyes burned with the strain, and her body felt drained. She still she tried, calling to her the magical powers that she knew, the magics that were in her blood. But they *would not answer*.  
  
So she tried again.  
  
Pounding on the door finally interrupted the repetition. "Come on, I you've been in there forever! Lun@, open the door! I gotta go!"  
  
She touched her hair, pulled back tight against her skull in her heavy braid. Perfect.  
  
She opened the door with controlled movements, to hide the trembling of her limbs, and left silently.  
  
"Lun@, you should be resting," Xander said as Buffy scrambled into the bathroom with a muttered curse. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything to eat? My grilled-cheese sandwiches have been known to cause riots."  
  
"Or, um, Makoto made chicken soup," Willow added from her chair as she looked up from her book. "It's really good. I, uh, tasted it."  
  
"Lun@?" Oz asked quietly, after she didn't answer. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Lun@ is dead," she responded in her stone voice.  
  
"Lun@?" Xander whispered into the silence.  
  
"Lun@ is dead," she repeated, a little louder, but still stone. "I am Diabolique." *I am a killer. I am Death. I fear no mortal, nor anyone, for I am the Great Destroyer.* With a smooth walk, slow to cover a limp, she silently left the room.  
  
There was silence for a while, and everyone fought a sudden case of the chills.  
  
"This is a bad thing," Xander finally decided, arms crossed. "Does anyone else see the powerful badness of this?"  
  
"She's gone hardcore," Oz answered. "Do you think we should follow her?"  
  
"I think we should find her psychiatric help right now," Xander answered. "While we're following her."  
  
*****  
  
When Buffy emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later to an empty room, she frowned. "Guys?" Where had they gone? And why had Lun@ been in the bathroom so long?  
  
So many mysteries, so little time.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, Scully, I come bearing coffee and some reports from Detective Ino. Maybe we should get working, you think?" Mulder frowned at her back. She looked so tired...  
  
"Well, Mulder, we know what we've come here to know, and that's that the Sailor Senshi exist, are not bent on destroying the world, and actually *do* fight crime in high-heels and bathing suits," she said, accepting the coffee with a frown. "I don't know what we have left to do here."  
  
"You don't think we should help them with the creatures that are bent on world domination?"  
  
"What can we do?" she asked, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "We don't have any magic, or even any means to help them."  
  
"I don't know about that," he said, super-casually. "You seemed to be doing pretty well earlier."  
  
"What are you talking about, Mulder?" Scully asked, cupping her hands around the coffee cup. Funny, but they felt so cold now... they never used to feel so cold.  
  
"Oh, come on, Scully, don't give me that. This is me you're talking to; I've noticed your sudden plethora of information on All That Is Mystical, so give."  
  
"Mulder," she started uneasily, looking away and taking a sip of the steaming liquid, "I--I don't know what to say."  
  
He remained silent, knowing there was more.  
  
"I mean," she continued, after a pause, "the dreams I've had lately are so confusing; I don't know what I'm supposed to get from them. Lun@ told me they were related--that these flashes I've been having are related--to this case, and to this Moon Kingdom." She sipped her coffee, reluctant to say more.  
  
Mulder pursed his lips a little. "What do you see?" he prompted when she didn't speak.  
  
"You," she finally whispered. "You, and me, and Endymion-sama--I mean, Mamoru. Mr. Chiba. It's the past, or so Lun@ says, and Mamoru and the others seem to agree with her. Lun@'s there, too, but she's--different, somehow. She wears a lot of grey."  
  
"Grey, huh?" he responded after a pause.  
  
"Willow told me she'd researched her under her previous name, 'Diabolique', and turned up that she was from Ireland. Mr. Chiba, however, called yesterday to say he found references to her dating back almost 2,000 years in a part of modern-day Russia.. The book our young friend read was based highly on speculation of the times, and, while in some cases is quite accurate, is still merely presumption. The fact is, there are numerous documented appearances of the Angel of Death, Diabolique, before the eight hundred years previous that research placed her at. But, *Russia*, Mulder!"  
  
"What about it?" he asked. "What, was she killed by the black oil?"  
  
"Forget about the black oil, Mulder. Don't you know anything about the history of the Sailor Senshi?"  
  
He looked at her strangely before answering. "Girls in bathing suits battle evil?"  
  
Scully lifted her coffee cup to her lips before she realized she'd already drunk it all, but Mulder was ready to refill her mug. "2,000 years ago, the Earth was plunged into chaos."  
  
"I know this one," Mulder interrupted. "Birth of Jesus of Nazareth!"  
  
"Yes, and a few years earlier, the Earth kingdom destroyed the Moon Kingdom, ending the peace from the Silver Millenium. According to the legend," Mulder raised his eyebrows at the skeptical tone, "humans inhabited all of the planets and a few of the moons in the solar system, with the help of magic. The royal family representing the Earth in this solar system-wide alliance is rumored to be located in modern day Russia. Based on what Mr. Chiba has said and various correlating texts that Mr. Giles has provided, we've pieced together that the leader of the Earth Kingdom, Queen Beryl, was--I don't know, possessed, corrupted, pick a word--by an evil," she paused a breath, not quite believing that she was about to say the word, "entity--or, force--a demon of some sort by the name of Metallia. This Metallia went on to destroy the Moon Kingdom's Silver Millenium of rule, which was led at the time by a certain Queen Selenity."  
  
"Mother of Princess Selene," Mulder connected. "And Prince Endymion was Beryl's--son?"  
  
"Cousin, but still heir to the throne," Scully said. "You get the idea now."  
  
"Endymion and Selene start with the hanky-panky, and the power of love defeats the evil Metallia?"  
  
Scully took a deep drink from her mug. "No, Metallia corrupts the populace and wipes out life everywhere except for Earth. Queen Selenity some how seals the demon away for 2,000 years until Selene and Endymion are reborn, and then they banish the Metallia."  
  
Mulder just stared at her, a bit disturbed, and suddenly began to smile. "Demons? Aliens? Resurrection? Who are you, and what have you done with Scully?"  
  
"Mulder, I'm at my wits end. People are telling me all these crazy things, and I've been dreaming about these things before I even heard about the Senshi themselves. I'm starting to believe things that I'd usually dismiss as outlandish and ridiculous!" She set her cup down on the table and rested her head on her hands.  
  
"Don't tell me there's more!" Mulder exclaimed.  
  
"I think you and I were there, too."  
  
"Scully, are you pulling my leg? Please let me know now."  
  
"You were... some sort of consultant. An advisor to Endymion, I believe. I think I was his personal doctor."  
  
Mulder wanted to believe. He really did. This was Scully telling him this, and he trusted Scully with his life and more. But...  
  
But this was Scully telling him this, and Scully didn't believe in... well, any of this kind of thing.  
  
But Scully was dying, and involved in sudden random prophetic urges, and...  
  
He sighed and sat back in his chair. "You don't lay it on light, do you?"  
  
"Am I going crazy, Mulder? Am I trying to hard to believe?" Her voice shook a little, and her hands were so cold. "I don't know anymore. I'm so tired of all this, all the strange, bad things..."  
  
"It will end soon," came a calm voice from the door. Both FBI agents stood and turned towards the speaker.  
  
"What do you mean?" Mulder asked after he and Scully had exchanged a glance.  
  
"The enemy will be defeated, or she will die. Perhaps both. But, in any event, it will not take long."  
  
Scully paled, and Mulder snapped, "What the hell's the matter with you, Lun@?"  
  
"Lun@'s weakness is no more. There is only Diabolique."  
  
"What about your past self?" Scully asked. "Mr. Chiba has possibly discovered somethi--"  
  
"My past no longer interests me," she said coldly. "I am only interested in death." Her eyes slid to Scully before she turned and walked away.  
  
"She's in denial," Scully told Mulder, who was about to explode. "She's suffering from her imprisonment. I should go--"  
  
"Just leave it, Scully," Mulder interrupted. "Let's just go home and take a few months off. We can't do anything here--leave the experts to fight this, and we can go to Disney world, and see the giant ball of yarn, and just..." He knew they wouldn't, even as he said it, and he grabbed Scully's hand tightly as she moved closer to him. "I just found you," he said hoarsely. "I'm not ready to lose you yet."  
  
Whatever she was going to say was cut off by a scream from somewhere in the temple. "Dr. Scully, Dr. Scully, come quick!"  
  
Biting her lip, she grabbed her medical bag and took off, Mulder close at her heels. "Where are you?"  
  
"In here!" called the girl, and Scully turned into Taiki's room to see a chess set lying half on the floor, half on the bed, and Ami holding the boy's pale form. Two tea cups lay on their sides on the bedspread, thankfully empty. "He just collapsed!" Ami cried. "We were playing chess, when he suddenly grabbed his side and passed out!"  
  
The petite woman was already next to them as Ami expertly pushed up his shirt and unwrapped the bandage around his middle. "Oh, my God..." she whispered when she saw the way the wound pulsated and glowed malevolantly. "He needs to change forms--he's took weak to sustain--" she gestured, "this one, and the gash is starting to re-open."  
  
"Taiki!" Ami called, putting a hand to his face. "Taiki, look at me."  
  
"Ami?" he asked distantly, violet eyes glazed.  
  
"Yes, Taiki-kun. Dr. Scully's here. She and I need you to do something--are you listening?"  
  
"Hurts..." he gasped.  
  
"Yes, I know," Scully said, holding a clean cloth to the gash. "But you need to go back to your female form."  
  
"No!" Taiki moaned, looking paler.  
  
"Taiki, you're too weak right now," Ami said gently, though her worry was plain under the calm front. "I need you to change back."  
  
"No," he repeated, but less adamantly.  
  
"Taiki, change now," Ami directed.  
  
"Shit, his stitches are dissolving," Scully muttered.  
  
"Taiki!" Ami demanded, and suddenly he glowed blue and then red, and the women pulled back until the change was complete.  
  
Scully sighed in relief as the mark calmed and settled. "He's stabilizing."  
  
Taiki blinked a few times and then closed her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just wanted to..."  
  
"Shhh," Ami calmed, and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay."  
  
Taiki pulled away and wrapped her arms around herself. "No."  
  
"I'm sorry," the blue haired girl whispered, drawing away also. The look on her face was heartbreaking.  
  
The brunette pulled herself together and looked at Scully, who had finished examining the stitches and was in the process of re-wrapping the bandage.  
  
"No more of that," Scully said with a stern look. "I told you to change back if there was pain!"  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't want..."  
  
"I'll bring you some more tea," Ami said quietly, and began to gather her chess pieces and the tea cups, placing them all on the tray she'd brought and excusing herself, head bowed.  
  
After she left, Taiki slammed her fist on the bed. "Damn it!" she cried, biting her lip.  
  
"These things take time," Scully said, taking her pulse. "You can't expect to be better the next day."  
  
"She hates me now," Taiki whispered, closing her eyes, and allowed herself to be settled back on the pillows.  
  
Scully blinked as her vision swum before her eyes for a moment, and then settled. But now, Taiki was glowingly a light purple, light shining from her skin. The effect didn't go away, so she rubbed her temples. "Whatever you're doing, stop it, it's giving me a headache."  
  
Taiki didn't answer, and continued to clench her eyes shut.  
  
"Scully," Mulder said from the doorway, still feeling a little overwhelmed from observing the gender-change, "you okay?"  
  
"I..." she opened her eyes and looked around. Taiki was still glowing faintly, and when she looked, she could see that Mulder was glowing, too, but with bright, yellow light. "What the hell?"  
  
Ami quietly came to the door, hands filled with the tea tray. She was glowing blue, but the color was more like Taiki's--dampened, somehow, and not as bright. "This should help with the pain," she said quietly as she set down the tray. "I'll let you rest now."  
  
As she turned to go, Taiki reached out grabbed her wrist. "Wait," she said, and Scully watched the light jump suddenly from both of them. With a frown, she looked down at her own hand. Why was she the only one who wasn't glowing?  
  
Ami turned, and her eyes were full of hope.  
  
"I'm sorry," Taiki said, and Scully suddenly realized what was happening, picked up her doctor's bag, and moved to the door. "I just... I wanted to play chess, and drink tea, and spend time... with you." The two girls stared at each other for a moment. "Please don't leave."  
  
Ami sat down on the bed next to her, and they held hands quietly.  
  
"Come on, Mulder," Scully said quietly at the door. "Let's leave them alone."  
  
"Are you okay, Scully?" he asked with one backward glance, closing the door behind them.  
  
"I'm seeing strange light," Scully said, and described it to him.  
  
"Scully," he said, and they stopped walking for a minute. "You're seeing auras."  
  
And, suddenly, the magic light was gone, and her upper lip tingled, and she knew she was having a nosebleed.  
  
***** 


	23. It Hurts When You Do This

Yellow Roses, part 23: It Hurts When You Do This by Cassima 

Summary: Lun@ has a nervous breakdown (again); Haruka and Michiru learn the values of spying.  
  
Warnings: Slashy overtones! Hints of _ shoujo-ai_... kinda.  
  
*****  
  
I'm warning you,  
Don't ever do  
Those crazy, messed-up  
Things that you do.  
If you ever do,  
I promise you,  
I'll be the first to crucify you.  
  
--"Call and Answer", Barenaked Ladies  
  
*****  
  
She stood in front of the mirror, hair down from its normal tight braid. Now that she had given up her past and dedicated herself entirely to the art of death, she had no need for hair; hair was a waste of time--frivolous, for materialistic people.  
  
Her hair had grown; instinctively, she knew the length was all wrong. At least it was straight, and she would not have to waste precious time coaxing it back in the morning. And maybe, by the time it grew back out, she would have atoned for her mistakes. Perhaps she would be strong again, unbeatable, untouchable. Perhaps they would let her back into the Death Angels Squad, and she could reap souls like before, when she had been strong. Perhaps then they would assign a real angel to Buffy, to guard and train and assist her.  
  
She would destroy this evil, and they would see how good she was at death, and then they'd let her come back for sure. It would be the only logical, kind choice, and angels were notoriously bound by kindness, if not always logic. It would be the only humane thing to do, both for her, and for Buffy. For her--friends.  
  
Raising the scissors, she began to cut. _Snip--snip--snip!_ She studiously didn't watch as pieces of hair fell into the sink and onto the floor. Her hand began to tremble slightly, and she couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or Weak Tendencies. _ Snip--snip--sni--_  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" someone cried, and the scissors were wrenched from her hands. She whirled around and held herself up with the sink, hands shaking even more. Damn vampires and their lack of reflections! Oh, why hadn't she shut and locked the door? At the time, it had hardly seemed important, but now...  
  
"Angel, I--" she whispered, but forced herself not to answer the ridiculous question.  
  
"Have you gone completely insane?" he cried, and reached out to her head to take a fistful of the hair left. "Look at what you've done! Okay, I know something terrible happened, but you've been acting dead ever since you got back. Snap out of it, get over yourself, do whatever you have to do, but talk to me! Talk to Buffy, talk to _someone_."  
  
"You--"  
  
"Are you listening to me, Diab? You're not Death anymore, and you can't go back to it right now. Do you understand that? You're a guardian--Buffy's guardian, and I'm not going to sit around and watch her die because you're too stuck in insanity to do anything!" He lowered his voice and softened his tone as he realized they were drawing a crowd. "What happened?"  
  
She didn't speak, but her eyes were wide, and he realized they were full of tears. She pushed him away, suddenly, hard, and sidled out of the room, keeping her back to the wall.  
  
"Lun@," Buffy said quietly, and stepped forward as if she were approaching a wounded, cornered dog.  
  
Dog. Could she...?  
  
She gave it her best. She really did. She just couldn't find the form, couldn't figure out which way to _think_ to slip into the new body._ She couldn't do it. _ Even this, so natural earlier, was denied to her...  
  
"I'm going out patrolling," she heard her voice say, remarkably calm.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said, after exchanging a glance with Giles. "I just need to get a stake and we can leave."  
  
"I don't need you."  
  
"Of course you don't," Buffy soothed. "But I'm the Slayer. It's my job to slay. Here, I--"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Lun@--"  
  
"Diabolique!"  
  
"Diab--" Angel tried.  
  
"Stay back!" she told him fiercely, and he blinked in surprise at her vehomence. "You're not coming!"  
  
"It's alright, Angel's going to stay here," Buffy said, again placating. "We'll be able to handle all the big scaries on our own."  
  
"No one else!" she snapped, and heard the hysterical sound of her own voice. "Just you and me," she said, trying not to sound crazy.  
  
The group was silent; they just stared at her. Buffy, sending off as many waves of calm normality as possible, picked her jacket up from the bed and checked the pockets for stakes. "Okay, Mr. Pointy and I are all ready. Let's go."  
  
"You're just humoring me," she whispered, but allowed Buffy to take her by the arm and guide her out of the room.  
  
"I'm always humoring you," Buffy said, tone reminiscent of banter. "You coming?"  
  
She shook her arm free, but walked beside the Slayer.

*****  
  
Going with Buffy had been a mistake. She knew that now.  
  
Diabolique--as she insisted on being called--knew the slayer had only good intentions when joining her, but the constant company, constant chatter, constant feeling of being tested and found lacking was starting to play hopscotch on her last nerve.  
  
Anyone else would've found themselves suddenly alone, but this was Buffy, whom she was sworn and bound to protect by the black choker around her throat. Diabolique had never realized before how symbolic it was, being collared. Being able to change into a dog. Being bound to serve. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to hate Buffy, or even resent her a bit, and that lack of hard feelings perhaps troubled her the most.  
  
It was only when she lifted her stake to kill the vampire and suddenly found herself holding that silly gray thing that she knew she hadn't left the temple to kill bitey things.  
  
Luckily, Buffy was right behind it with a stake made of *real* wood, and it wasn't the quick, anticlimactic end to Diabolique that she had feared.  
  
"You okay?" Buffy asked, and then pointed to the grey stick. "Where'd you get that? And what is it?"  
  
"I don't know," she answered, and glared at it. "But I have a feeling I'm going to find out tonight." She looked up to the moon as it hung in the sky. Low on the horizon, it looked larger than normal, and, strangely, a bit yellow. "I need to see the prince."  
  
"Prince?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to--?"  
  
"The Earth Prince, Endymion," Diabolique cut her off, a hint of a smile on her face for the first time since she'd returned. "Not the artist Formerly Known As."  
  
"Oh, that Prince." Buffy nodded. "Sailor Moon's squeeze."  
  
"Him," she agreed, and coughed a little.  
  
"Well," Buffy said, and brushed some dust off her jeans. "Let's go, then."  
  
Stuffing the stick in her pocket, she winced as the cut on her face throbbed suddenly.  
  
*****  
  
"Ami?" Taiki whispered, and she turned her head towards the light.  
  
The blue haired girl smiled and marked her place in the book, setting it down. "You're awake. Would you like some water?"  
  
"You didn't leave," came the hoarse whisper, and the tired girl's eyes softened. It was strange but very nice to see the hardest of the three brothers--sisters?--smile so warmly and gently.  
  
"I said I wouldn't," Ami responded, and reached out for the other's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Tired," Taiki answered honestly. "And a bit thirsty. And grubby." She wrinkled her nose.  
  
Ami laughed. "Seiya and Yaten gave you a sponge bath earlier. They wouldn't let anyone else touch you. Would you like to see them? They haven't gone too far."  
  
"That would be nice," Taiki said happily. "I missed them so much... When I... when I was in the dungeon, I thought they'd been killed... I was... And then, that other girl was in there with me... Lun@? And she fell so quickly... it was nice to feel needed. Do you understand?"  
  
"I think so," Ami replied.  
  
"How is Lun@?" Taiki asked.  
  
"Strange," Ami said. "Her cuts and bruises are healing nicely, but mentally... I'm not so sure."  
  
"It was bad," Taiki whispered. "What they did to her. It was really bad."  
  
They sat in silence for a moment, and then Ami cleared her throat. "I'm going to get Yaten and Seiya. I'll be back shortly."  
  
*****  
  
"Hey," Buffy said softly. "You okay?"  
  
"I..." the reply was cut off by a small coughing fit.  
  
"Lun@, what's wrong?"  
  
"I just..." she wheezed, "need a minute. Hang on."  
  
"Ready?" she said after a moment. This couldn't be the girl who beat her up a week before, who'd been tutoring Buffy in various chapters of the ever-elusive Slayer's Handbook ever since before Christmas when she first appeared.  
  
"Let's go," she replied, and pulled away from the wall she'd been leaning on. "We're almost there." She pointed.  
  
His apartment building was tall, and Buffy could see from where she was that each one had a tiny balcony. Cozy, and she said as much.  
  
Lun@ only shrugged slightly and muffled another cough. "I guess."  
  
Thankfully, there was an elevator in the hallway, because Buffy was concerned for her guardian, that she might have another strange fit of illness on the way up. The elevator ride was fairly uneventful, but Buffy suddenly turned to her companion when an idea flew into her head. "Hey, how do you know where he lives?"  
  
"How do you know you walk on the ground?" the girl returned, leaning against the wall. "I just know."  
  
"That's really weird," Buffy warned.  
  
"I know." The elevator dinged the floor, and they walked down the hallway until they reached a certain door, and Diab knocked.  
  
A moment went by as they waited. "Are you sure this is the right one?" Buffy finally asked.  
  
"Yeah," she responded, and an elderly man opened the door.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked.  
  
"Is Chiba Mamoru here?" Buffy asked after a slight pause.  
  
"Next door to your right," the man told them, and closed the door.  
  
Buffy raised an eyebrow and prepared to make a snarky comment, but she cut it off at the look on Lun@'s face. Raising a hand to the other's forehead, she ignored Lun@'s attempts to move her head from Buffy's hand and frowned. "You're really warm. You feeling alright?"  
  
"I'm fine," she said, finally succeeding in brushing the other off. "Come on, next door."  
  
Knocking at the next door yielded Mamoru. "Buffy!" he said in surprise. "Lun@! What are you doing here? Come in."  
  
"Actually," Buffy said, correctly interpreting a Look from her friend, "I have to go finish patrolling. Lun@, why don't you stick around and chat with him for a while?"  
  
"Diabolique," the girl remembered to correct this time, but allowed herself to be ushered in by a confused Mamoru.  
  
"I'll see you later, Diab," Buffy said to her back, and gave Mamoru a meaningful look concerning the other girl's health.  
  
"Tell the others I'm doing research," she responded. "Don't let them..." _Don't let them see my weakness._  
  
"Have a good time. Research much." Leaning closer to Mamoru, she whispered, "Keep an eye on her. She's been messed up since she got back."  
  
He nodded. "I'll do what I can."  
  
The door shut, and she left the apartment building to go kill some more evil beasties.  
  
*****  
  
"Can I get you anything?" Mamoru asked his guest, now that they were alone. "Some coffee or tea?"  
  
"Tea..." she mumbled, sitting in an armchair.  
  
"I'll be right back." While on his way to the kitchen, he stopped to pick up the medical textbook he'd been reading, marking his page with a piece of folded notebook paper. He set the tea out and put the water on to boil going back to check on her. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I..." she murmured, and put a hand to her head. "I cut my hair..."  
  
She had... and poorly. With a sigh, he picked up a pair of scissors from the desk drawer and put a towel under her and draped another over her shoulders. "I'll just even it up a bit on the edges."  
  
"No bangs," she mumbled, clenching the towel close to her body. "I hate bangs."  
  
"No bangs," he agreed, and they were silent for a while as he trimmed the ragged, choppy hair. When he had finished, it came only to her mid-upper back (except in the front, the part she hadn't gotten to when Angel caught her), but at least it looked okay.   
  
After he cleaned, he left her sitting there to take the boiling water off the stove. When he had the tea prepared, he carried it out to his living room on a tray to find the girl pacing.  
  
"Lun@, what's wrong?" he asked gently.  
  
"I'm not Lun@," she answered back, just as quietly. "I never was. I just took that name because it seemed familiar. I was Diabolique for a while--a long while--but that's not who I am, either." She wheeled around and looked at him. "Who am I?"  
  
There was a confused look on his face as he put the tea set down on the table, but then he smiled suddenly. "You are who you are."  
  
"That's a very nice sentiment, but I need to call myself something. I need to know who I was, and who I'm trying to be. I need to know what I did so that no one will tell me about my past. I need to know why I'm sick." She held up the gray wand that was suddenly once again in her hand. "And I really want to know where the heck this keeps popping up from!"  
  
He caught it easily as she tossed it to him, and obediently looked it over again. "It almost _feels_ like a _ senshi_ transformation wand."  
  
"But it's not," she said, and sat down in the chair across from him. "It's giving off some sort of energy signal. _ Henshin_ sticks are dormant until they're activated, and then they disappear."  
  
"Maybe it doesn't disappear," he suggested. "Maybe it's still active."  
  
"But, that would mean..." she trailed off, standing again.  
  
"You're still transformed."  
  
"But I'm not a Senshi," she protested.  
  
"How do you know?" Mamoru tossed the rod back to her, and she fumbled to catch it. "Why don't you try un-transforming, see if you can."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I don't even know if I'm transformed, much less how to un-do it!"  
  
"Relax," he advised. "I'll try to describe what it's like for me, when I change back from being Tuxedo Kamen. Okay?"  
  
She nodded, and stopped pacing, standing still. "What do I do?"  
  
"Close your eyes. Take a deep breath--that's right. Now, there's a faint buzzing power at the very back of you mind. It's barely noticeable, right? Well, you're the one making it buzz--so just let it stop. Let it go, you can always call it back."  
  
She had a brief moment of panic; calling magic hadn't been her strong suit lately. But Mamoru's voice was deep and soothing, and she let herself trust it, and suddenly she felt it flicker and sizzle out, and she gasped as a rush of--something--left her. She could feel something drain from her body, like the blood was draining from her face, and her feet didn't touch the ground, and then she lightly touched back down...  
  
Her legs gave away under her, and she allowed herself to collapse on the carpet, gray wand pulsing lightly in her palm.  
  
Mamoru was at her side in an instant, putting a hand to her head to feel her temperature. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"  
  
"I... Mamoru? Am I...?"  
  
"Can you stand?"  
  
"I..." Hysteria entered her voice. "I can't feel my legs. Mamoru, I can't feel my legs!"  
  
"Relax," he murmured, and picked her up and moved her to the couch. "It's probably just the surprise of the magic leaving."  
  
She blinked, a little dizzy, and leaned back against the cushions.  
  
*****  
  
"Are you sure this is necessary, Haruka?" the woman asked, lowering her binoculars. "It seems a bit suspicious."  
  
"I don't trust her," the other woman said in a hard voice. "Taiki said she nearly betrayed us."  
  
"Yes, but it was under torture." Michiru frowned. "I'm not saying we shouldn't keep an eye on her, but it feels wrong to spy on the Prince like this."  
  
"I just want to make sure he's safe."  
  
*****  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked, carefully watching her. Ever since she'd fallen, she'd looked--different, somehow. There was a fragileness to her, where there'd previously been strength. There was an aura of exhaustion about her; it made him tired just to look at her.  
  
"Weak," she finally replied. "I'm not sure that was such a good idea."  
  
"This seems familiar," he said.  
  
"Familiar." She frowned. "But I... this is..." She began to shake a little. "I'm so confused... and I still can't feel my legs!" Putting a hand to her face, she began to sniffle helplessly.  
  
"Lun@, calm down," Mamoru said softly.  
  
"No!" she cried. "I don't want to calm down! I don't know who I am, except that I seem to be evil, no one will tell me my past, I stole a name from a cat, and now I'm paralyzed! My legs don't move, and I j-just want to d-die, and I don't even have a good reason anymore!" She raised her other hand and covered her eyes, nose, and mouth, shaking uncontrollably. Her breath shuddered every time she inhaled, and she could only take in air in gasps.  
  
Mamoru placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but felt surprisingly inadequate to handle this. Being a generally nice guy, he felt an urgent need to handle this situation, to do something that would make her feel better--but, short of slapping her, he couldn't think of a way to snap her out of what was quickly approaching hysteria.  
  
It was then that he felt the questioning presence. Glancing over, he saw the Spirit Jenny Calendar had summoned earlier, standing transparent in the room. "I can help her," he said, speaking directly to Mamoru's mind.  
  
Mamoru thought back, "How?"  
  
"I need to take possession of your body." The Spirit took a step closer. "She is too emotional to visit me in the spirit realm right now, and there is no magic field for me to walk in."  
  
Mamoru frowned.  
  
"No harm will come to your body," he said. "Upon that I swear. No harm will come to any of you."  
  
"Do it." Mamoru braced himself as the Spirit slid into his body; suddenly he was passenger of his own form.  
  
"Hush, little one." It was his own voice speaking, but it wasn't him. Mamoru sat back to watch as his hand rested atop her head and gently smoothed her hair. "It's alright."  
  
"I'm broken," she wept. "It's not alright."  
  
"You are the way you were made," he whispered.  
  
She looked up, and blinked her red, swollen eyes. A fat tear slid down her cheek amidst the smearings of old tears and snot. "Kalguna?"  
  
Mamoru could feel his lips curve into a smile. "Yes, little one."  
  
"Don't call me that. It makes me feel stupid." She sniffled. "And get out of Mamoru's body. He's gonna kill you."  
  
"He agreed on a temporary possession," Kalguna said, and plucked a few tissues from the box on the table and pressed them into her hands. "There is nothing wrong with you."  
  
"I beg to differ," Lun@ replied bitterly. She wiped her face and blew her nose in the tissues.  
  
Kalguna brought the entire box over next to him and handed her a few more. He seemed, to Mamoru, to be deciding something. "Let me tell you a story--"  
  
"Sod off--"  
  
"--about a young girl. She lived in a kingdom far, far away. Her legs didn't work right, and she didn't have any magic, so one day she struck up a deal to become the _ senshi_ of the planet Sirus in exchange for magic to make her body work right."  
  
"Oh." She sniffled and blew her nose again.  
  
Kalguna reached over and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. "Sirus gave her magic, and she went to Earth with the Ambassador of Sirus, where she met lots of people and made friends. Do you know what her name was?"  
  
"Lun@?"  
  
"No," he whispered, and she sniffled.  
  
"D-diabol-lique?"  
  
"Sade," he murmured, stroking her back. "Her name was Sade."  
  
"Sade," she repeated. "Really? My name is Sade?"  
  
"It is. It doesn't matter, though. It's just a name. Has it changed who you are?"  
  
"My name is Sade?" She looked up at him and smiled suddenly. "My name is Sade!" Laughter bubbled out of her, and she looked surprised at its appearance.  
  
"You need to let the power go every once in a while," he told her gently. "You can't stay transformed all the time. You need to release the energy and let it build up again. Half a day, then you can transform again."  
  
"I'll be able to walk? And run? And, kill vampires?"  
  
"You'll be healthy as a green vegetable." He rubbed her arm. Mamoru could feel her body relaxing against his, and wondered suddenly what their relationship was.  
  
He wondered no longer as Lun@--Sade looked up at him and smiled brilliantly, despite her red eyes, blotchy face, and rather soggy demeanor. "Kalguna..."  
  
*****  
  
At Michiru's sharp intake of breath, Haruka looked over over her lover's shoulder. "What is it, honey?"  
  
"That two-timing scum!" the teal-haired _ senshi_ of Neptune fumed. "What an ass--and with her, of all people!"  
  
"What?" Haruka asked, and pulled the binoculars out of Michiru's hands--and growled when she saw Mamoru and the girl sitting on the couch, kissing each other. She was practically in his lap. "I knew there was something I didn't like about her."  
  
They stared in a mixture of horror and fascination as the prince gently picked her up and carried her towards the bedroom. This was a bad, bad thing.  
  
They would pay for hurting her princess.  
  
*****  
  
In the bedroom, Kalguna carefully laid Sade down on Mamoru's bed. "You've had a long day," he whispered, and stroked her hair back from her face. "I want you to get some rest, okay? Go to sleep."  
  
"I'm not tired," she grumped, but settled down onto the pillows.  
  
"Take care of yourself," he said, a sad smile on his face, and she could almost see his long hair swirling around him, and his dark skin glowing next to it. "Tomorrow you just have to use the _ henshin_ stick and say, 'I call upon the power given to me: Sirus Planet Power, Make up'."  
  
"Okay."  
  
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I... I have to go."  
  
Mamoru found himself suddenly in his own body again, feeling like he'd witnessed something private. "Um... well, goodnight." He squeezed her hand and dropped it, moving towards the door and turning out the light.  
  
"Don't go," she whispered into the darkness. "I--uh... I don't want to be alone."  
  
He smiled and sat down on the bed next to her. "You're not alone." He lay back on the bed, putting his hands behind his head. Mamoru could tell by her breathing that she was asleep, and thought how similar their situations were.  
  
Lun@--Sade, actually--didn't know her past. She had no family, only a few friends, and hid her loneliness and frustration under a mask of sarcasm. Sounded a lot like himself. But, now that the past had reunited him with Usagi--his Usako; he smiled fondly--he had friends in the _senshi_, a place to belong. Family.  
  
Maybe, somehow, Sade could find her family, too, through the Slayer and her friends, or maybe now through the _senshi_. After all, she wasn't alone.  
  
No one is alone.


	24. You Do This to Torture Me

Yellow Roses, part 23: You Do This to Torture Me by Cassima 

* * *

Summary: Usagi learns all is not as it seems; plans are made.  
  
Warnings: I think Taiki and Ami are cute together.  
  
Disclaimer: I hate my life.  
  


* * *

  
_ If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten. _  


* * *

  
  
Mamoru awoke to the doorbell. Sitting up, he blinked his eyes a few times, wondering what he was doing sleeping on top of the covers in his clothing. Glancing over next to him, he saw Sade lying next to him, frowning in her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming about, and rose to answer the door.  
  
Before he was more than a few steps out of the bedroom, the door to his apartment opened. "Hi, Mamo-chan!" Usagi chirped as she let herself in with her key. "When you didn't answer, I thought I'd just come in and wake you up. You look..." she paused for a moment to study his clothing, biting off on the word "handsome". "Rumpled," she finally decided. "Did you sleep in your clothes?"  
  
Mamoru self-consciously ran a hand through his hair, trying to smooth it down. "Good morning, Usako." He gave her a small kiss, and smiled. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I thought we could have a picnic," she said shyly, reaching into the hallway and retrieving a large basket. "I made the food--well, with Makoto's help, and she said to tell you that we were really careful and nothing will give you food poisoning, like last time. I thought we could go out to the park. Okay, Mamo-chan?"  
  
She was beautiful, he thought fondly to himself. She was a treasure. She was more valuable than... "That sounds nice," he found himself answering. "I'm just going to go brush my hair." And his teeth, he decided. Morning breath. Ick.  
  


* * *

  
  
Usagi smiled as she watched her boyfriend wander towards the bathroom, still looking half-asleep. How strange, for her Mamo-chan to be in bed so late!  
  
What would be really nice for the picnic, she speculated, was a blanket to sit on. Lucky for her, Mamo-chan had a really nice one. It was soft and durable, and stains washed out fairly easily (as they'd discovered the hard way). Usagi had many fond memories of that blanket, of the picnics and--other activities--they'd used it for. The bright blue color was fading a little, and one of the corners was a little ragged, but Usagi had decided a while ago that they were never getting rid of it. Never, ever, ever. Opening the door to his bedroom, she slipped inside.  
  
There was a girl sleeping in her Mamo-chan's bed.  
  
It was that Lun@ girl.  
  
Usagi felt, in order, shock, confusion, and a healthy dose of anger. There was an explanation--_there had to be; Mamo-chan wouldn't cheat on her. They were Meant To Be_--and she was sure it was damn good one, but even so...  
  
Lun@ stirred a little, eyes sliding open and head turning to the other side of the bed. "Mamoru?" she asked sleepily.  
  
Usagi made a small noise in the back of her throat.  
  
Lun@ turned her head back, blinking in confusion. "U-Usagi," she said. She frowned in worry, and struggled to a sitting position. "Um. Hi."  
  
"What's going on?" Usagi asked her. The basket dropped from her hands to clatter noisily on the floor.  
  
Lun@ winced at the loud noise. "I... This isn't what it looks like, I swear."  
  
"What is it, then?" Usagi asked, surprised at her own calm tone. She raised a hand to her heart, unconsciously trying to soothe the ache in her chest.  
  
"I just... I was sleeping... nothing happened, I promise you." She was shaking, Usagi noticed. She looked different, somehow; her hair was stringy and tangled, but that wasn't it, nor was it the grey cast to her usually pale skin. Her eyes were large in her face, and something in them seemed... dead.  
  
"What's going on?" Usagi asked again.  
  
"Usako, I'm--" Mamoru entered the room behind her. "Oh," he said faintly, as two sets of confused eyes turned towards him, begging for help. "It's not what it looks like," he told Usagi, reaching for her hands.  
  
She pulled back, moving towards the wall, away from both of them. "It's not."  
  
"I can't tell you what it is," Mamoru replied, glancing at Lun@, who was studying the sheets in front of her. "It's not my secret to tell."  
  
"What am I supposed to think?" Usagi asked, glancing back and forth between them.  
  
"I can't--"  
  
"Tell her," Lun@ whispered. "She deserves to know."  
  
"Are you sure?" Mamoru asked.  
  
"She's the leader. If she promises not to tell the others--do you promise, Usagi?"  
  
She nodded, unsure.  
  
"Okay," Lun@ whispered, and pulled the covers off her lower body.  
  
Usagi gasped involuntarily. Her legs were thin and shriveled, even through the material of her jeans, and she moved over to her bedside, touching her legs with a kind of fascinated horror. "How did this happen?"  
  
Lun@ was refusing to look at anyone, eyes focused somewhere in the sheets. "My name is Sade." Her voice lifted for a moment, and her eyes darted over to them before she concentrated again on the bed. "I used to be an Angel of Death, but I... I have no... and now I use magic to make my body strong enough to fight. I'm a fraud. Now you know." She hid her face in her hands. "Kalguna just told me I'm Sailor Sirus, and I can't feel my lower body until I transform, and I'm sorry!"  
  
"What are you sorry for?" Usagi asked gently.  
  
"I don't know!" Sade began to cry.  
  
Reaching out, Usagi pulled her into a tight hug. "It'll be okay," she whispered.  
  
"I don't remember my past, an' no one'll tell me, and I'm not strong enough to protect Buffy, an' everyone hates me, an' I don't want to be Sailor Sirus, I want to be Diabolique and kill people again!" Her body was stiff in Usagi's arms, and Usagi felt sympathy and pity overcome the lump of jealousy in her chest.  
  
"Don't worry," Usagi said. "I'm sure everything will turn out fine!" There wasn't a chance on this side of the moon that Mamoru had done anything with this sobbing wreak of a person.  
  
Besides, Mamoru would never cheat on her.  
  
"Are you re-charged?" Mamoru asked kindly when the sobbing and dulled to dry hiccoughs.  
  
"Prob'ly," Sade said, sniffling and wiping her nose on the tissue Usagi handed her. "I guess I should try."  
  
Usagi stepped back, giving Sade some room. "You can do it!"  
  
The silver wand was suddenly under Sade's hand, and she lifted it. "I call upon the power given to me! Sirus Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
Usagi gasped a little as Sade's thin, bony, emaciated body rose into the air. Grey ribbons sprung from behind her, wrapping themselves around her lower body and legs. As they tightened, they firmed and settled, and suddenly her legs were muscular. She settled into an upright position, and silver light shot up from the floor and bathed her body, making it suddenly healthier. Finally, more silver ribbons snaked around her, solidifying into a Sailor fuku, knee-length boots, and elbow-length gloves. The very front portion of her hair twisted and braided into two braids, which hung with the rest of her hair past her ears  
  
As the transformation ended and she stood there in full uniform, Sade blinked and looked down at herself. "I never realized how short these skirts were," she muttered. She was still holding the transformation wand.  
  
Usagi grinned. The new hairstyle softened Sirus' features; it looked much better than the usual tight braid she wore. "It is nice to meet you, Sailor Sirius."  
  
Sirus inclined her head in a polite manner. "The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure." Picking up one of her braids, she looked at it disdainfully. "I wonder how I get my clothes back. I really liked those jeans; they were all broken in and everything."  
  
With the magic cushioning her again, once more supporting and enhancing her limbs, she was nothing like the unsure girl she had been before. She was a warrior again, hardened and cynical. Usagi was suddenly reminded of her first meeting with Saturn, right before Saturn had gone off to drop her Silence Glaive. Saturn had been just as calm, just as confident, just as deadly.  
  
As she fumbled to undo one of the braids on the side of her head, the wand suddenly slithered from her hand to her left wrist, where it became a watch. The watch cover, a star within a circle, flashed briefly, and suddenly Sade was back in her street clothes. She blinked. Her hair was back down again, out of the strange hairstyle, but not up in her one braid.  
  
"You can't tell right now," she said slowly, "but inside I'm freaking out."  
  


* * *

  
  
Agent Scully sipped her coffee and stared at her report. It was done, but she could imagine the look on A.D. Skinner's face if she handed it in. It would resemble his, "I am not amused" face, with a hint of "Scully's illness has sent her brain bye-bye" and a speck of "You do this to torture me, I know it." Quite honestly, she wasn't quite sure she believed it herself--but that was almost standard practice for cases on the X-Files. Science and the X-Files had a precarious relationship with each other; sometimes they weren't on the same planet, and other times they were strange, strange bedfellows.  
  
"More coffee, Agent Scully?" Taiki asked shyly.  
  
"Hm? Oh, please." She held out her mug, still frowning at the screen of her computer.  
  
"Is something the matter?" Taiki asked as she poured.  
  
"What? Oh." Scully sighed. "I'm just working on my report." She gestured to the screen. "I can't turn this in."  
  
Taiki glanced over her shoulder. "A report on the Sailor Senshi?"  
  
"They'll never accept this." She sighed, saved the document, and shut down her laptop. "But, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Better," Taiki answered truthfully. "When can I transform back into a--my other form?"  
  
"Let me check your wound," Scully replied, and ushered Taiki back to a chair. "Lift up your shirt." She crouched in front of her, fingers peeling back the bandage to check the gash.  
  
Taiki complied, holding as still as possible. "Well?" she asked after a moment.  
  
"You're not healing as quickly as I'd like," Scully replied. "I'd like you to remain in this form for another day. Besides," she said, "Your energy flows much better in this form. I don't think the other would be very comfortable."  
  
"What?" Taiki asked, pulling her shirt back down. "How do you know about that?"  
  
"About what?" Scully asked, confused.  
  
"What you said about my energy," Taiki said. "How can you tell?"  
  
Scully frowned. "I didn't say anything about your energy."  
  
"Yes, you did," Taiki said. She looked up at the doctor with concern.  
  
"I don't remember," Scully said with a frown, stepping back and touching her face.  
  
"Are you okay?" Taiki stood, taking a step forward. "You look pale."  
  
"I... I think I need to sit down," Scully said. She could feel the blood draining from her face, and the world tilted slightly around her.  
  
Taiki's hands came around her, carefully helping her into the chair. "Agent Scully? Scully?"  
  
"I'll be okay in a moment," Scully replied, grasping the arms of the chair. "I just feel a little dizzy."  
  
"Mr. Giles," Taiki called to him as he passed by the doorway, "could you please bring me a glass of water? Agent Scully isn't feeling well."  
  
"Of course," the man replied, a concerned look on his face.  
  
"This really isn't necessary," Scully said weakly as a glass was pushed into her hand.  
  
"Do you have blood sugar problems?" Giles asked. "When was the last time you ate?"  
  
The world swam before her eyes and was suddenly replaced by the image of a tunnel. No, not a tunnel, more like a cavern. It was large, spacious... and incredibly empty. There was a feeling of void coming from that tunnel, and she knew it was *wrong* in a way that extended beyond the physical. The floor was made of sand; she could feel the tiny grains shift beneath her feet, and the passage of air through the tunnel chilled her bare arms. There had been death--lots of it, so much that the earth wished to mourn with her, for the Silver Peace was gone, murdered in a vicious bloody battle. The Silver Peace had lain on the ground in a puddle of blood, white flowing dress stained red, black tuxedo torn, splattered with red. Slain by Earthlings. And the tunnel... the sandstone arch with those runes carved in warning... "It's coming soon," she whispered. She itched to close her eyes against the images; her fingers itched for a pen to draw them out, to make the others see.  
  
"What?" Taiki asked.  
  
"What do you see, Agent Scully?" Giles asked her, setting the water aside.  
  
"We have to stop it. He's summoning his army--the Ancients will be upon us. It is the Chamber that Unmakes the World. We have to stop him." Images flashed through her mind, and she struggled to hold onto them. She felt alone. "The White One--the Lady of Light can stop them. There is death--watch how they fall. Watch how we fall. Falling--the blood--Oh, God, the blood--"  
  
"Scully?" it was a new, familiar voice that interrupted this time.  
  
_Mulder_, she wanted to say, but the strange vision drove her on. "Through the tunnel, under the arch, magic shall not pass through this sacred place."  
  
"Scully, wake up!"  
  
She was almost chanting the words. The images swept her along with them, and she could barely keep up. She was falling through the arch, through the tunnel, and the Chamber of death was there. "Follow the tunnel between worlds to the arch--Requiem, it sings a Requiem, and all the voices of the dead join in--through the arch, but magic will be destroyed. The Chamber is sacred--the battle must be there. He must not win the Chamber. Oh, the blood..."  
  
"Scully, stop it!" Suddenly, she was in control again, and she opened her eyes to find Mulder kneeling in front of her, his face so close to her own. His hands were gripping her shoulders tightly; it was painful, but she didn't stop him. She could feel the warmth of the blood on her upper lip, taste it as it slipped down onto her lower lip and into her open mouth.  
  
"It's beginning," she said, hands reaching out to clutch his arms. "So soon, Mulder..."  
  
"What is?" Mulder asked. His eyes were so intense. Scully felt herself being drawn in.  
  
"I don't know," she replied. "All I know is it's bad."  
  
"I'll look it up," Giles said, and she remembered he was still there, and Taiki. "I have some books. We can get started on research right away. I already know where to start."  
  
"I'll help," Taiki said.  
  
"You rest," Scully corrected, and Mulder released her shoulders. "Take a nap. You've been up too much already."  
  
"I'll bring you back a book," Giles promised her. "What languages can you read?"  
  
"English, Japanese, German, Latin, and French," she said. "And I know a little Russian."  
  
"That should be fine," Giles said. He looked impressed, Scully noted. Heck, she was impressed. Surprised, no, but impressed? Hell, yes.  
  
Mulder pushed a tissue into her hand, and she absently held it to her face. "We don't have much time," she said.  
  
"Yes, I remember reading something about this before," Giles said. "There was a prophecy... I've been sorting through my books. But the passage you described sounds fairly familiar. We shouldn't have any problems. Finding it. I'll be back shortly."  
  
"Good," Mulder said, watching him leave.  
  
"Taiki, why don't you go take a nap?" Scully said. "Or at least, lie down for a few hours."  
  
"Right," she said. "I'll do that."  
  
"Why don't you go to the bathroom, Scully," Mulder said. "Wash off your face."  
  
"Yes," she replied, wondering if she'd gotten any blood on her clothes. "That sounds like a good idea."  
  
"Maybe you should lie down after that, too," he suggested. "You look a bit pale."  
  
"I'm fine, Mulder," she replied. "Or, at least, I will be."  
  
"Right," he said. "You're fine. Right. I forgot." He stalked out the door. Scully had the impression that, if it hadn't been a sliding door made out of something resembling paper, he would have slammed it.  
  
Right. She was fine.  
  
Right.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Here, you take these ones," Giles said, handing a small stack to Willow. "And, Ami, you take these ones." The stack he handed her was a bit larger.  
  
"Hey, what about me?" Xander asked.  
  
"Xander, these aren't picture books," Willow said. "You know that, right? I mean, they have pictures, but you have to read the words, too."  
  
"Oh," Xander said. "Right. Yeah. I'm just going to... sit around and cheer you guys on. You go, guys!"  
  
"Xander can help me sharpen stakes," Buffy said. "I assume we will need stakes?"  
  
"Wha--? Oh, yes, of course, the stakes. By all means, sharpen them." Giles settled his glasses more comfortably onto his face. "Jenny, if you wouldn't mind taking these ones--"  
  
"Of course, Rupert," Ms. Calendar said. "I'd be happy to look through this dead print instead of looking it up on the internet."  
  
"Thank you," Giles replied. "I appreciate the assistance."  
  
No one was quite sure if that was sarcasm or not.  
  
The door slid open quietly. "Hello, everyone."  
  
"Lun@," Xander said. "And where have you been, young lady?"  
  
"It's been thousands of years since I've been young, and I can't recollect ever being called a lady," she said. "I've been busy. Now I'm done. Inform me."  
  
"Agent Scully had a vision," Giles said. "We're doing research. According to her, we have very little time until the Ancients have enough power to begin conquering. There's a ceremony we can disrupt to stop it. We're researching."  
  
"Great," she said. "By the way, my name is Sade now."  
  
"Geez, what are you, _1,000 Names For Your Bundle of Joy_?" Cordelia cried. "Just pick one already!"   
  
"I did. It's Sade." She looked at him coolly before nodding at Buffy. "I'm ready. Tell me what to do."  


* * *

  
"Set 2B."  
  
Buffy obediently changed her fighting pattern, slipping easily into the form as her well-trained muscles found the moves without the slightest hitch or hesitation. "So," she said casually, "how did last night go?"  
  
Sade smiled, looking up from her book briefly. "Mission successful. I'm bad, I'm back."  
  
Buffy panted, dropping gracefully to sit next to her mentor on the porch. "What's the dish? Come on, give." She wiped sweat off her upper lip with the back of her hand and leaned back to half-lay on the floor.  
  
"The planet of Sirus lends me strength," Sade said, choosing her words carefully. "I needed to work some of details out with them. But, don't worry," she said cheerfully. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here to ride your ass from here to hell and back."  
  
"Where've you been all day?" Buffy asked. "With Mamoru?"  
  
"Nah," Sade replied, turning the page of her book. It didn't look like it was going to have anything interesting. Or pertinent. "He went on a picnic with Usagi. I walked around the park, did a little window shopping."  
  
Buffy made a face. "I don't know what they see in each other. They're so different."  
  
Sade chuckled a little, amused. "You're hardly one to talk."  
  
Sticking her tongue out at her, Buffy had to laugh a little in agreement. "Touché."  
  
Fingering the edge of the page, Sade looked up into the sky. Dusk was approaching, maybe an hour away. "Power attracts power, Buffy. All of the _ senshi_ are a bit in love with Usagi; it's her light. Her magic is strong... it's the strongest I've ever seen, actually. Mamoru can sense it--it draws him in. He's similar. Lots of power, but something's missing from him." She looked up to her Slayer, eyes gentle. "You're similar, you know? You two would complement each other well. He can call on magic, but can't enhance himself with it, while you can't do a simple levitation spell, but..." Sade shook her head. "I'm sorry, I must sound like I'm speaking nonsense. Your break's almost over."  
  
"It sounds like intelligent nonsense that Giles spouts," Buffy comforted, rising to stretch. "So, good nonsense."  
  
"Just keep working," Sade said, humor in her smile. "I can't read and talk to you at the same time." Her gaze slid over to the entrance to the temple, where she felt two pairs of eyes glaring at her. They sent her a clear message:  
  
_Watch your step._  
  
She frowned a little, and Buffy followed her gaze. "What's their problem?"  
  
"I don't know," Sade replied, growing uncomfortable. "They seem pretty upset, though.  
  
Buffy cracked her knuckles. "Ya wants me ta go have a Talk with 'em, boss-lady?"  
  
Sade groaned, turned back to Buffy. "That was the worst movie you've ever made me see. No more old mobster movies."  
  
Buffy grinned charmingly. "But it was great when they broke out into song and dance!"  
  
"If that's the last time I see a mobster tap dancing with his violin case, I'll die happy," she said.  
  
"Spoilsport."  
  
"Set 12C."  
  
"You're trying to kill me."  
  


* * *

  
  
It was late that night (actually early the next morning) when Rei was moving through the temple, making sure everyone was done for the night. Usagi had dropped by briefly, only to flee with Minako and Makoto at the word "research"--which, frankly, probably only improved the group dynamics. Ami had holed up with Taiki--Rei smirked--and the two of them together had tackled a few of the more difficult books. Mr. Giles was coming up with a rough plan, and the other friends of the Slayer were asleep.  
  
Gently, she removed a very old text from beneath Mr. Giles' head and covered him with a blanket. It would be a shame to ruin such a well-preserved tome with drool.  
  
Their weapons were all sharpened and shined and laid out neatly; Rei took a moment to admire the blade of an especially wicked axe. It was odd how much damage Buffy could do with such old, mundane weapons. The Slayer herself was quite the enigma; obviously, she had super strength, extra luck, and superb vitality, not to mention the other things Rei had no clue about, but where did this power come from? Someone, sometime, must have endowed the Slayers with these abilities--but who had the energy to do such a thing?  
  
Rei turned out the lights and closed the door.  
  
The last room, where Taiki was healing, still had a light on. When her knock received no response, she slid the door open a bit and peeked inside.  
  
Ami and Taiki were seated on the bench, a large red book laying across their laps. Ami's head was resting against Taiki's shoulder, and Taiki was leaning slightly in her direction. Rei was startled for a moment, and then smiled. They were cute together.  
  
Taiki shifted slightly in her sleep, her hand moving to clasp Ami's. Ami moved her head into Taiki's shoulder in a nuzzling way, a strand of her short blue hair curling on her cheek. Despite the vast difference in their heights, the two looked perfectly content and happy curled up together; the book only completed the picture of happiness. _Ah, love between bookworms. I guess Ami has found her Einstein, and Taiki has found the one person who can out-think him. It's about time._  
  
The smile still on her face, she dimmed the lights and left, closing the door softly behind her. They were starting their two weeks of vacation tomorrow; Ami could stand to sleep in for once in her life.  
  
Besides, it would give her a better opportunity to pry what the hell was going on between them out of the warrior of ice.

* * *

Cassima is wondering if anyone is still reading this.

Quick, Batman! To the Yellow Roses page!

Index! Ay Caramba! 


	25. The Beast That Shouted Love at the Chamb...

Yellow Roses, part 24: The Beast that Shouted Love at the Chamber that Unmakes the World   
  
Author: Cassima (black_cassima@hotmail.com)  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned X-Files, BtVS, or Sailor Moon, I wouldn't be writing this piddly fanfic, I'd be writing their stories. That's 'cause I'm not Takeuchi Naoko, Joss Whendon, or Chris Carter. Surprised?  
  
Summary: Yaten picks a fight; our heroes move in to stop the enemy.  
  
Series note: In a battle against one of the Big Bads, Haruka and Ami (Uranus and Mercury) were split off and had to fight in an illusion world together. Haruka learned during this quick excursion that Ami's brains are nice and handy to have around.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone with a sharp stick who insists on poking me; between not recieving UPN and missing out on new Buffy, the XF being now off the air, and being utterly without Sailor Moon at school, it's sometimes hard to keep moving. I promise you, though, this *will* get finished. However long it takes.  
  
*****  
  
"Y'know, this was supposed to be my weekend off, but nooo. You got me out here draggin' your heavy ass through the burnin' desert with your dreadlocks stickin' out the back of my parachute. You gotta come down here with an attitude, actin' all big and bad... and what the hell is that smell?! I could've been at a barbecue! But I ain't mad."  
  
--Steve Hiller, _Independance Day_  
  
*****  
  
"You're sure this is it?"   
  
Scully nodded, eyes fastened to the drawing in the book. "The Chamber that Unmakes the World," she whispered.   
  
"Um... yes." Giles pulled the book back, looking at it. "Actually, it is."   
  
"Well, good. Now that we have all our names straight, let's go kill the bad and save the day." Buffy put her hands on her hips. "What are we waiting for?"   
  
"Um... Sailor Moon?" Rei said with a smirk.   
  
"Nightfall?" Angel said.   
  
"Dinner?" Makoto said. "It'll be ready in about ten minutes."   
  
"The magical elements to be set up," Taiki said from her spot on the floor. She, Ami, and Willow were painting an intricate, geometrically-correct diagram on the floor while Oz and Setsuna mixed the various paint colors, communicating through Setsuna's less-than-perfect English. They seemed to be in their element. Xander had hidden "math dweebs" in a cough a few times before Haruka had glared at him, effectively shutting him up for the time being.   
  
"Hell to freeze over," a cold voice informed Taiki. "You're not going."   
  
Buffy leaned back against the pole, just watching as most of the group worked on carefully ignoring the ensuing confrontation.   
  
Ms. Calendar unfolded the blueprints to the Chamber and laid them out on the table in front of a few of the senshi. "These are the magical focus points," she pointed out to Rei and Minako, the latter of which was only half paying attention.   
  
"Xander, can you explain these to me?" Minako asked the suddenly wary boy, smiling flirtatiously.   
  
Taiki turned back to her sisters, still in their male forms. "You can't stop me."   
  
"Xander, rub my shoulders," Cordelia said, with a pointed look of superiority in Minako's direction.   
  
"Um, Xander's going to go over here now," the dark-haired boy said. Each heard it in her own respective language.   
  
"You're so cute!" Minako cooed, grabbing his arm before he could make his great escape. She petted it possessively.   
  
"Get your grubby bleach blonde paws off of my boyfriend!" Cordelia snapped, snatching his other arm and yanking on it.   
  
"Okay, Xander needs help," the boy said, eyes flitting around and finally resting on Makoto. "For the love of God, help me."   
  
"He looks like my old boyfriend," Makoto mused dreamily.   
  
"You're still injured!" Seiya said, and Yaten ruthlessly grabbed Taiki's side.   
  
Taiki turned a sickly shade of grey, and Ami looked up from her compass and ruler, an unsure look on her face.   
  
"Teenage hormones," Ms. Calendar grumbled, throwing up her hands and crossing to Giles and Scully, who were still hovering over the book, deciphering the sketches.   
  
"Hey, I was paying attention," Rei said, and began to try to figure out the blueprints on her own.   
  
"I don't care," Taiki said, slapping Yaten's hand away and shifting into a more protected sitting position. "I can still fight. You need me! I need to go!"   
  
"You're not going!" Seiya shouted, towering over her sister, and all other conversation ceased. "I'm the leader, and what I say goes!"   
  
Taiki turned white, and Buffy could see Ami's breath catch in her throat.   
  
"You may be the leader of the Sailor Starlights," Taiki whispered breathily, "but have you forgotten? I'm no longer allowed to serve Princess Kakyruu. So, I no longer have to take orders from you." There was a battle of wills as Taiki held her brothers' gazes for a long moment.   
  
"We will always be a team," Seiya finally said in the silence. "I don't care what the Council says! We are the Sailor Starlights, sisters in all but blood, ever since Princess Kakyuu brought us together, to be trained together. To grow up together."   
  
"Who cares what the Council says?" Yaten said. "Screw them. Princess Kakyuu loves you; she doesn't care about--that." He waved a hand. "Tell the Council it's a lie. Tell them it was just a joke."   
  
"It's not a lie, Yaten," Taiki replied heatedly, standing. "It's who I am. I can't change what I am, and it's not something I'm joking about, either!"   
  
"Why not?! Try! Just because you haven't met the right man doesn't mean you have to fuck women!"   
  
Taiki froze, struggling with something in herself. Finally, she burst into motion, pulling back and slamming her fist into the muscles of Yaten's stomach in a mean punch. Taiki aimed again, but her fist was caught in a strong hand.   
  
"That's enough," Buffy said firmly, releasing her hand after a moment. *You can't take me.*   
  
Breathing heavily, Taiki stared at Buffy for a moment, then Yaten, before turning and pushing past everyone else, heading for the edge of the temple property.   
  
Seiya helped his brother up, not sure what to say to the crowd of shocked onlookers.   
  
Yaten had no problems finding words. He looked straight at Ami, still cradling his stomach with one arm while glaring as coldly as he could. "This is all your fault."   
  
She blinked her large eyes in hurt and puzzlement before realization dawned. From her position on the floor, still kneeling in front of the diagram with her paintbrush clutched in her hand, Ami stared at everyone, and the group looked back at her in varying degrees of confusion and enlightenment. The paintbrush fell quietly from her hand, paint spattering off the end, slightly smudging part of the diagram, and she raised her hands to her blushing face, trembling. "I..." Finally, the silence became too much, and she fled, racing past the group and down the temple stairs, one hand pressed to her face in dismay.   
  
Yaten huffed, entering one of the rooms of the temple and shutting the door behind him. Seiya coughed a few times and finally managed to steer to topic of conversation back to the impending battle.   
  
Buffy exchanged a glance with Seiya, to make sure he wasn't going to try anything funky, and nodded when he sat down to help paint.   
  
Makoto and Rei looked at each other uncomfortably, facing the direction Ami had run. "I should..."   
  
"Don't worry," Haruka interrupted. "We'll take care of it." She strolled down the temple steps, nodding at Michiru as her girlfriend followed the path Taiki had taken.   
  
Oz handed Willow a cup of funny-smelling purple paint to be used on the border of the diagram. "What was that all about?" he asked, stuck in English.   
  
*****   
  
Ami huddled on the bench, long skirt twined about her legs. She wrapped her arms around her torso, wishing she could curl into herself. She hadn't felt like this since... since she'd moved to Tokyo and started going to school with Usagi and the others. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to shrink into herself, to fold up and become invisible to the naked eye.   
  
She hated love.   
  
She'd never really been fond of emotions; she loved her parents, but in a sort of detached way. She loved her friends, but she felt their differences acutely; she could think of so many things, so quickly, with so little effort, in so many different ways, and they all held her in such high regard for it. She didn't feel worthy of their awe. She didn't *feel* smart. At times, Ami felt that the only reason they held her in such high regard was because she studied so much, and if they applied themselves a little more, they wouldn't need her so much. In other times, however, all she could feel was her genius, and the isolation that accompanied it. Being with Usagi and the others forced her to think on different levels than usual--and still, she felt obscure.   
  
She'd always admired Taiki, and they had had a few moments of connection that shook Ami to the core. Even after she'd found out the Starlights' secret--their hidden femininity--she hadn't lost that deeper rush of contentment she'd held at the sight of him. Her. Whatever Taiki was, it didn't matter. The mind hidden by that tangle of magic and body, the person Taiki was...   
  
And for this love, Taiki had been banished. They blamed her--they hated her. How did Taiki bear it, the loneliness that accompanied exile? And, why hadn't she been informed of it?   
  
"You think too much," a deep voice said from behind her.   
  
"It's a failing of mine I shall strive to correct," she replied after a pause.   
  
"Love isn't meant to be sorted and categorized." Haruka comfortably settled herself on the bench next to her, staring out at the duck pond they were facing. "I can tell that's what you're doing, too. You can't think your way out of love."   
  
"Love." Ami rolled the word around in her mind, dissecting it. "Is that what this is?" She watched a mother and child as they fed an especially greedy bunch of ducks from a bag of stale bread crusts. "Love has never felt like this before. I love my mother, and my father, and my friends--at least, I say I do. I believe I should be very upset if anything should happen to them. Maybe, what I feel with Taiki... maybe it's the same. How do I know what kind of love this is?"   
  
There was a hint of a smile in Haruka's voice. "You know."   
  
"I do." Ami sighed a bit. "I suppose I was hoping it wasn't so. That--I don't know, that I could spare her--him--her--I don't even know what gender Taiki prefers to be!"   
  
"Does it really matter?" Haruka asked gently.   
  
"It shouldn't," Ami answered. "But... I never thought I'd love anyone like this. And now, she's a woman. And--this love has cost her everything she almost died for."   
  
"You're intending to simply disappear." Haruka chuckled. "When I first met Michiru, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought she was hot--but weird. And dangerous. I told her I never wanted to see her again." Haruka leaned her head back, staring at the trees above her. "I was young and stupid. I was alone. I *liked* being lonely. She messed with all of that, set me off balance. And then, I was attacked by a youma. She came to my rescue, transformed into Sailor Neptune--and I thought, 'I should get away from here. I should leave before this sucks me in.' Michiru almost died that day."   
  
Ami was staring at her. "But..."   
  
"She told me, as she was dying, not to become Sailor Uranus. That it would change my life--steal it, morph it, make it terrible. But as I saw this beautiful woman dying for me, all I knew was that I was made to be with her, to follow her." Haruka took a deep breath, looking back down at the ducks paddling around the duck pond. "I don't regret the danger. Not for a second. I may have sacrificed the path I was on, but she's sacrificed the same. And we've both gotten hurt... but I don't regret taking this chance."   
  
Ami was silent for a few moments as she watched the ducks. "You're saying I shouldn't let her be alone. I shouldn't let either of us be alone. That we should go through the hard times together... that I shouldn't let her have better than this."   
  
"When I first met you, Ami," Haruka said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I was not impressed. I thought you were the weak point, that you were trapped in your own world. I thought getting rid of you would make Sailor Moon a lot stronger. But now," she said, squeezing Ami's shoulder to lend strength, "I know that, by seeing you as a weakness, I was actually identifying the weakness within myself. I wasn't smart enough to see the point in your tactics and your strategies. I wasn't smart enough to see the balance and--I don't think many people manage to see how you really are. It even the other senshi, sometimes, forget... but ever since you and I were trapped by Nehelenia's illusion, I never forget. And I know that Taiki never forgets. You can see it in her eyes."   
  
Ami remained silent, staring at the ducks. They squabbled amongst themselves, fighting to be closest to the people with the food, snapping and making loud noises.  
  
"Come on, let's go back," Haruka said, putting a hand on Ami's shoulder and standing. "It's almost time to open the portal."  
  
"The portal!" Ami exclaimed, raising a hand to her mouth and jumping up. "I can't believe I left the others to do the work!"  
  
"Don't worry, they'll be fine," Haruka said, smiling. "Just remember that we need you to come along."  
  
"Right," Ami replied, giving the duck pond one last look. "Right. I'm coming."  
  
*****  
  
"I'm only going to say it once," Michiru said, looking at Taiki's back. The taller girl was sitting on ground, arms curled around herself in an effort to keep herself together, face carefully hidden. "You and Ami fit together, and you're upset because you can't pretend to be a man all the time."  
  
Taiki didn't respond.  
  
"I don't trust you and the other Starlights. Haruka and I never did. But Ami trusts you, and you should respect that trust."  
  
"I can't turn them off," Taiki finally said into her arms. "They exiled me because I have all these forbidden feelings that I can't turn off."  
  
Michiru sighed and looked at her watch. "Taiki, you can't change what you are. If you have feelings for other women, its because that was how you were meant to be. It's hardly your fault if they don't understand that." She laid a hand on the other's shoulder. "Seiya understands, and I think Yaten does, too. They just don't want to believe."  
  
"I--"  
  
"We don't have time to sort through your psychological issues right now," Michiru interrupted. "We're leaving shortly, and if you intend to come along, you need to get it together and face yourself."  
  
Taiki sighed, pulling her head up. "You're right. Of course you're right. I'm fine."  
  
Michiru grabbed her hands and pulled her into a standing position. "Oh, and you might want to let Ami know that you're not mad at her. Yaten tends to lash out when he's upset."  
  
Taiki paled a little. "He didn't--?"  
  
"It doesn't matter what he said," Michiru said, not unkindly. "But the feelings behind it need to be addressed. Later."  
  
"Right," Taiki said. "Later.  
  
*****  
  
"...novium!" The portal flickered and finally surged into being as the intricate lines of the design began to glow. The glow traced the lines, following the curving, smooth ink and leaving behind a fiery green trail.  
  
"Wicked," Sailor Venus whispered. "Can we learn to do this?"  
  
"No," Jenny Calendar said, collapsing into her chair. Raising a hand, she wiped the sweat off her face; under her fingers, the skin of her forehead felt clammy and sticky. She closed her eyes briefly, waiting for the dizziness to pass.  
  
Two cool, soft hands pressed a glass into hers, and with minimal prompting, she lifted it to her lips. Orange juice trickled through her lips; she thought she'd never tasted anything better.  
  
"Drink lots of juice," Scully told her. "Sip, don't gulp. Your body needs to recover."  
  
"The portal is only open for a few minutes," Jenny replied, exhausted. She opened her eyes slowly, allowing only slivers of light to penetrate to her drained brain.  
  
The sailor senshi stood in a circle, their tagalongs in between the warriors. They all held hands. It made quite a sight, Jenny thought, especially with the power spiraling all around them. She'd never seen so much power, so concentrated; her coven would have killed to find half that much energy. And varied, too: the auras of the sailor senshi were so different in consistency and color. It was a soul-leech picnic just waiting to happen.  
  
As the group disappeared in a flash of light and a snap of air, the word "teleport" rang in Jenny's ears.  
  
"They're gone," Giles whispered.  
  
"Yes," Jenny replied.  
  
"I still can't believe we weren't allowed to go," Xander whined. "What's up with that?"  
  
*****  
  
The group landed with a similar flash and pop over a large flat stone, best described as a landing pad. The walls were dark, and the chamber they were in had a cavernous feel to it. The darkness was oppressive.  
  
"Illume!" Saturn said after a moment, pulling a magic orb they'd enchanted back at the temple out of her subspace pocket and tossing it into the air. It flashed once and hovered above her head, pulsing strongly with soft orange light. The others quickly followed, and their landing area was soon lit adequately.  
  
"Lovely place. I love the decor," Buffy said, looking around.  
  
"It is rather homey, isn't it," Sade replied. She tugged nervously at her shortened braid with a frown. "Where to now?"  
  
"Forward," Scully replied, stepping off the stone to walk down one of the paths. "The only way to go."  
  
They walked in near silence. Eternal Sailor Moon made nervous small talk that only Tuxedo Kamen felt any particular pressure to respond to, and they continued, largely in silence.  
  
"So," Sade finally said, looking over at Buffy. "Be careful." It sounded lame as soon as the words were out loud, and she winced a little.  
  
"Always," Buffy swore, hand over her heart. She sounded so innocent Sade shot her a suspicious glance. "You too, okay?"  
  
"I mean it," Sade said quietly. "Just because I'm suddenly becoming Memory Girl doesn't mean that I'm not your Guardian. My poor heart can only take so much, Buff. Please--"  
  
"Sade." Buffy put an arm on her shoulder. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Right, I know. I just... I worry sometimes. 'S all." She shifted nervously and fiddled with her braid again. It felt wrong, so short, and she wished she hadn't flipped out and cut her hair. "I... right."  
  
She could feel Angel giving her a funny look, so she nodded again and crossed away a few paces, letting him fall in step with Buffy. Scully had been sending her odd looks ever since she got back from trying to summon Kalguna again. Sade had hoped he could assist her in discovering her senshi powers--well, okay, she wanted him to just cut all the mystical crap and just tell her already. Lun@ and Artemis had only shrugged when queried on the mysterious people, and all other research attempts had come up fruitless. Unfortunately, Kalguna had not answered her summons, and she was left only with the nervous, twitchy feeling everyone seemed to have.  
  
Especially Ami and the Starlights. Sade wondered what had gone wrong while she was away; whatever it was, no one seemed in the least bit inclined to talk about it.  
  
"The Hall is coming up," Scully said from the front. Mulder tightened his hand on her elbow; it seemed to Sade that Scully looked painfully pasty and worn. The color was draining out of her, and even her hair seemed less red than it should be. Her voice, however, was calm and even. Sade felt a chill creep along her shoulders. "It will be guarded. Be prepared for battle."  
  
They turned the corner, and by the light of Pluto's staff and the glowing spheres, an arch was visible before them. So, fortunately, were the vampires waiting to attack.  
  
The vampires were no match for a full team of Sailor Senshi and the Vampire Slayer. An early water attack from Neptune dissolved the clones, and the remaining vampires were easily slain.  
  
Too easily. Vampires, evil and generally brainless as they were, did not lack basic "fight or flight" instinct. It was as if something had been keeping them in one small area, trapped.  
  
When the vampires were all gone, Scully walked down the tunnel, Mulder at her side, only to stop about five meters back farther than the vampires had been. "The barrier starts here," she said. "This is the barrier no magic can cross. The final stretch of the tunnel, up until the Great Chamber, is void of magic."  
  
"That's why the vampires were waiting here," Buffy said with a nod. "Makes sense."  
  
"A place void of magic destroys creatures kept alive by magic," Mars explained when Eternal Sailor Moon sent her a confused look. "The undead, in this case."  
  
"Magic and spells don't stand up in a magic void," Mercury added, focused on her computer. "If my calculations are correct, we shouldn't be harmful to the rest of us, though. Since our uniforms are created by magic, we'll have power down before we cross the barrier."  
  
"Well, that means I'm going to be waiting here," Angel replied with a frown. "I guess I'll just be guarding your backs." His next words were for Buffy alone. "Be careful."  
  
The senshi de-transformed and crossed the barrier; Mulder, Scully, and Buffy simply walked across. Sade stood at the edge of the opaque "wall", eyeing it with an inscrutable look on her face.  
  
"This," she said finally, when everyone except for Angel was across, "is where I take my leave of you as well."  
  
"Sade--" Buffy began, crossing back over the barrier.  
  
"I'm not going," Sade replied tersely. "I can't go into a magic-free zone."  
  
"You're alive now," Buffy said with a frown. "You're not going to pop out of existence." She grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward. "Come on, don't be a 'fraidy cat."  
  
Sade twisted out of her grip, stepping back. "I'm not going."  
  
There was a tense moment; a few of the senshi traded glances.  
  
"We have a job to do," Haruka finally said. "Just leave her." She turned and started down the hall. Michiru followed, pausing only long enough to send Sade a cool glance.  
  
The others followed, albeit some more willingly than others. Scully stood behind, staring at Sade.  
  
"How do you feel?" Sade asked after a moment. "You don't look good."  
  
"Better," Scully returned, somewhat surprised. "My head is more clear."  
  
"Really?" Mulder asked.  
  
"It's the anti-magic aura," Scully said. "It won't last long." Her gaze fell back on Sade, and the girl felt suddenly cold.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sade said, knowing something horrible was about to happen.  
  
"I prefer it this way." Looking suddenly awkward, Scully nodded and turned away.  
  
Angel watched Sade as she placed a hand over her suddenly queasy stomach. "What was that all about?"  
  
"I don't know," Sade replied, swallowing against the bile in her throat. "Nothing good."  
  
*****  
  
They emerged from the anit-magic field directly outside a large set of double doors at least three times as tall as any of them there. As the senshi powered up again, Buffy re-checked her weaponry and readied her axe. The silence was unnerving; she wished for Xander's inane chattering. Finally, though, everyone looked at each other. Sailor Moon nodded, and Mulder and Scully pulled the doors open.  
  
The Chamber itself was large open. There was no sand on the ground here; the floor was an elaborate granite tiling, which met the equally granite walls with an odd feeling of finality. It was a stark and barren room, with only the large, elevated altar against the far wall serving as decoration.  
  
The altar itself was the most elaborate thing in the Chamber, and Buffy could tell from the far side that the two items on it, a large book and a globe, were the special items they had come to protect. A man stood before the altar; he was wearing an elegant purple dress with flowing sleeves and calmly smoking a cigarette.  
  
Everyone gaped at him.  
  
"So, I see you've finally arrived," he said mildly, taking one last pull off the cigarette before he let it fall to the ground. "I'm glad you could make it."  
  
"Is this some sort of a joke?" Mulder demanded, stepping forward. "What's the game?"  
  
"Now, now, no games anymore, Fox," the man said, rubbing out the embers and carelessly kicking the remains of the cigarette off the stair with one stylish pump. "It's time for me to take what I've been preparing for." He pulled a package of cigarrettes from the bodice of his dress and tapped another out of the box.  
  
"What's that?" Mars asked when he paused to light it.  
  
"Ultimate power," he replied. "Revenge against Eternal Sailor Moon. The destruction of the Vampire Slayer Buffy Summers." He inhaled deeply. "Kind of foolish to destroy the Slayer, I know, but I suppose the hope is that the next one will be more easily contained."  
  
"EARTH SHAKING!" Uranus yelled, hurling a swirling ball of yellow energy at the cigarette smoking man. It hurdled towards him, only to hit an invisible shield and dissipate.  
  
"Quite hopeless, I'm afraid," the man said mildly. Buffy supposed if she had a shield like that, she could afford to be calm, too. "No power you have is strong enough to break the barrier the Ancients put up for me.  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Buffy said, raising a crossbow and sending a bolt flying for his torso. It, too, bounced harmlessly off the shield.  
  
"Your deaths will not be in vain." He puffed meditatively on his cigarette. "Your death energy will be powerful enough to rip a new space pocket for the Ancients to live--a larger one, more suitable than the tiny hole they've been sealed away into. Your deaths are only partially about pleasure." He motioned with the hand not holding the cigarette, and a large team of snarling, dark-eyed monsters appeared.  
  
The defenders fell into guard position, eyeing the new enemies. This... this could be bad. 


End file.
